No fire hydrants at any government hospital in Rawalpindi division
RAWALPINDI: Following the fire incident at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), the divisional administration of Rawalpindi has realised that there are no fire hydrants at government hospitals in five districts of the division, and directed authorities concerned to install them on an emergency basis. There is the need of 49 hydrants in and around the government hospitals in the…
In Rawalpindi division, there are no fire hydrants at any government hospitals, according to the divisional administration that recognized this issue following a fire incident at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims). The administration directed authorities to install the necessary hydrants on an urgent basis, as there is a requirement of 49 hydrants in and around the government hospitals of the division, comprising Rawalpindi, Murree, Attock, Chakwal, and Jhelum.
The installation of 21 hydrants has already been completed, and the remaining 28 are set to be installed soon. The commissioner emphasized the importance of nominating fire wardens and managers in all hospitals, ensuring that fire extinguishers are fully functional and undergo regular inspection, pressure checking, and maintenance.
Moreover, responsible officers and relevant staff should remain immediately available during emergencies. It was reported that 98% of fire extinguishers in Attock district's hospitals are in usable condition, and emergency training is underway for hospital staff in Attock. Fire safety audits have been completed for hospitals in Chakwal, and the installation of hydrants has commenced.
Similarly, electric wiring review and building audits have been carried out in Jhelum's hospitals. In Murree, new hydrants have been installed at the Teaching Headquarters Hospital, with the remaining hydrants under installation. The Wasa authority has also initiated work on installing hydrants, installing two around Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital, and Benazir Bhutto Hospital, with additional hydrants planned for installation next month.
The commissioner visited Benazir Bhutto Hospital, inspected various departments, reviewed risk assessment measures, fire safety equipment, and staff attendance, and directed the hospital administration to identify locations for installing infrared (IR) cameras to promptly detect smoke. The commissioner also inspected emergency exit routes and stressed the importance of maintaining clear access to these routes at all times.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
