The Deputy CM of the UP has issued strict directives to the health and medical education department to ensure compliance with fire safety protocols across state-run hospitals. The health department has been instructed to conduct regular fire safety checks, ensure the availability of adequate equipment and organise mock fire drills in medical facilities of Lucknow, Kanpur and other 73 districts.

This initiative follows a tragic fire at Jhansi's government-run medical college, where several infants lost their lives. Committed to preventing such incidents, the government is taking stringent steps to enforce fire safety protocols across all healthcare facilities in the state.

The government has issued a comprehensive checklist to the health department, outlining the necessary protocols and fire safety measures that must be met.

As part of the measures, medical officers are required to take daily rounds of hospital premises with their expert teams to identify and address safety concerns. Regular inspections must be conducted to check electrical wiring, ensure the availability of hydrant pipes, and install emergency battery lights to keep hospitals illuminated during power outages caused by fire incidents.

Health workers trained by the fire department will be deployed in medical facilities for eight-hour shifts. Proper entry and exit arrangements for these wards must be ensured, along with the installation of exhaust fans to clear smoke-filled areas.

The directive extends fire safety measures to district-level hospitals, medical colleges, and CHCs/PHCs. Regular checks will be conducted to ensure the functionality of fire alarms and the display of fire safety information on notice boards outside wards.

In addition to government hospitals, fire safety audits, mock drills, and inspections will also be carried out in private hospitals across the state.