New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI) Prioritising and highlighting the issue of fire prevention and safety in health facilities, the Union Health Department has launched the Fire Safety Week in collaboration with all states and Union Territories (UTs) as well as relevant central ministries and departments from April 21-25.

Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava led the nationwide pledge ceremony on the theme ‘Fire Safety in Health Facilities’ at Nirman Bhawan, today.

Speaking at the occasion, Srivastava stressed the importance of ensuring fire and electrical safety in all health facilities, while highlighting need for fire safety planning, capacity building of all healthcare functionaries on hospital fire safety as well as the need to organise regular mock drills on fire preparedness as well as patient evacuation.

Senior officials of the ministry physically participated in the pledge-taking ceremony. Over 3,000 participants from public and private health facilities virtually joined the pledge ceremony and webinar on ‘Emergency evacuation and patient safety strategies’ and ‘Fire prevention in high-risk areas of healthcare facilities’.

Srivastava also highlighted the need to develop a culture of safety at health facilities, a health ministry statement said.

She urged all public and private health facilities to participate maximally in the activities and share the best practices with the ministry to enhance and ensure fire safety across all health facilities in the country.

The participants pledged to uphold the highest standards of fire safety within their respective organisations and healthcare facilities; cultivate a culture of fire safety awareness within their respective institutions by educating all staff and stakeholders on fire prevention, emergency response procedures, and the vital resources needed to maintain a safe environment; prioritise the safety of every patient, colleague and visitor; embrace innovative solutions to prevent fire hazards; and create a legacy of safety, resilience and trust.

Various activities have been planned throughout the country during the Fire Safety Week in order to raise awareness regarding the importance of prevention and mitigation of fire hazards in all healthcare facilities across the country, the statement said.

Along with the nationwide pledge ceremony on fire safety in all health facilities, the activities include fire audits at healthcare facilities and awareness generation activities.

The ministry has also organised a two-day webinar series on fire and electrical safety in health facilities, covering crucial aspects like prevention, regulatory compliance, maintenance and operations of fire detection and suppression systems, and patient evacuation as well as holding mock drills/ mock exercises to engage.

In total, the webinar series has been attended by over 3,000 participants from all states and UTs. PTI PLB KSS KSS