Odisha Fire Audit Uncovers Widespread Safety Deficiencies in Healthcare Facilities
An extensive audit conducted by the Odisha Fire and Emergency Services (OFES) directorate has revealed alarming findings regarding fire safety preparedness across the state's healthcare institutions. The comprehensive review, which comes in the wake of the tragic fire at SCB Medical College and Hospital that claimed 12 lives on Monday, indicates that the vast majority of clinical establishments lack adequate and foolproof fire safety measures.
Statewide Inspection Uncovers Systemic Failures
Over the past year, OFES officials conducted thorough inspections of 2,215 government and private healthcare facilities throughout Odisha. The audit encompassed a wide range of institutions including district headquarters hospitals, medical colleges, sub-divisional hospitals, and diagnostic centers. Shockingly, the investigation found that only a handful of these establishments demonstrated full compliance with established fire safety protocols.
"Except for a small minority, the overwhelming majority of healthcare facilities, including SCB Medical College, were found to be deficient in comprehensive fire safety implementation," revealed an anonymous OFES officer. "While some hospitals, including SCB, had installed basic fire-fighting equipment, these measures remained grossly inadequate for proper emergency response."
Repeated Warnings and Legal Pressure
The audit findings highlight a pattern of ignored warnings and delayed action. According to sources within the directorate, multiple written communications and meetings were conducted with SCB authorities specifically, emphasizing the urgent necessity to upgrade their safety infrastructure. This pressure intensified following a 2015 Public Interest Litigation filed in the Orissa High Court that explicitly highlighted fire safety lapses at the SCB medical college and hospital complex.
The directorate submitted several affidavits to the court detailing the specific risks and necessary remedies, yet implementation remained sluggish. Under the Odisha Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Rules established in 2017, all medical institutions are legally mandated to maintain adequate fire safety systems, a requirement that the audit shows has been widely neglected.
Government Response and Implementation Challenges
OFES Director General Sudhanshu Sarangi announced that a comprehensive review of compliance will now be prioritized. "The Odisha government has demonstrated full commitment to enhancing hospital fire safety across the entire state," Sarangi stated. "We have already completed a statewide audit of hospitals and issued specific recommendations to each institution. Our immediate focus has shifted to monitoring the implementation of these critical safety measures."
Sarangi detailed that for the first time, the government has allocated special budgetary provisions for the 2025–26 and 2026–27 fiscal years specifically dedicated to strengthening fire safety infrastructure in government-run hospitals. District-level committees have been established to accelerate planning, tendering processes, and the actual installation of essential fire safety systems.
Structural and Operational Hurdles
Despite these initiatives, significant challenges persist. "Many hospitals have begun the compliance process, but we face substantial obstacles," explained Sarangi. "Older building structures present major architectural hurdles for modern fire safety installations. Furthermore, since hospitals must remain fully operational at all times, installation work risks disrupting essential patient care services. Temporarily suspending medical operations for safety upgrades is not practically feasible in most circumstances."
The audit results underscore a critical need for accelerated action and stricter enforcement of fire safety regulations across Odisha's healthcare sector, particularly in light of the recent tragedy that has brought this issue to urgent public attention.
