Current Affairs

Issue

Since August more than 90 patients have died in separate incidents of hospital fires with most of them Covid patients.

 

Details

• Experts have blamed stressed infrastructure as the main culprit behind the increase in fire related incidents.

• In past couple of weeks, the number of patients admitting in hospital is growing. To accommodate the growing number hospitals have been increasing their capacity.

• There is increase in beds, staff and equipment to cater to the growing demand. However, the hospitals are not able to expand electrical wiring system.

• Electrical wires carrying electricity for increasing number of medical equipments have put a load on their maximum capacity, causing it to heat.

• Most of the incidents of fires occurred in ICU wards. This is because hospitals have increased the capacity without considering the effects on infrastructure.

• In addition to ventilators, new machines such as oxygen concentrators and air conditioners are working continuously without a break or cooling period.

• ICUs have increase in inflammable material such as sanitizers, vapours, oxygen gas, PPE kits etc, which can easily catch fire and spread.

 

Alternative plans

• Instead of air conditioners, which cannot work 24 hours, air handling units (AHU) must be installed as they can work for more time without stress.

• Cross ventilation must be performed in ICUs so that fumes can be given an outlet. This ventilation will prevent accumulation of poisonous gas and save lives.