Serious concerns have been raised over inadequate fire safety arrangements at the children’s wards and neonatal nursery of District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Dera Ismail Khan, where limited availability of fire extinguishers and lack of emergency preparedness drills could pose a significant risk to children, newborns, attendants and healthcare workers in case of a fire emergency.
Fire safety concerns raised at DIKhan DHQ Hospital children’s wards
Dera Ismail Khan , Sep 03 (APP):Serious concerns have been raised over inadequate fire safety arrangements at the children’s wards and neonatal nursery of District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Dera Ismail Khan, where limited availability of fire extinguishers and lack of emergency preparedness drills could pose a significant risk to children, newborns, attendants and healthcare workers in case of a fire emergency.
President Young Doctors Association (YDA) Dera Ismail Khan Dr Ashraf, while expressing concern over the situation, said that the existing fire safety arrangements in the children’s wards were insufficient and required immediate attention from the hospital administration.
He said that only one fire extinguisher had been provided for three children’s wards at the DHQ Hospital, while the neonatal nursery also had only one fire extinguisher installed, which he termed inadequate considering the sensitivity and vulnerability of the patients being treated there.
Dr Ashraf said children, particularly newborns, were among the most vulnerable patients during emergencies and could not evacuate independently, making comprehensive fire prevention, detection and response arrangements essential in such wards.
He also demanded that the oxygen supply system at the hospital be centralized and located at a safe distance from the wards to minimize the potential risk of fire and ensure safer management of oxygen supplies.
He said the hospital administration had repeatedly been informed about the deficiencies and requested to take corrective measures, but the issue had not been addressed effectively so far.
Expressing concern over the lack of preparedness among hospital staff, Dr Ashraf said no fire emergency mock drill had so far been conducted at the hospital to train and prepare doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and other employees for an emergency situation.
He emphasized that regular mock exercises were necessary to familiarize hospital staff with emergency evacuation procedures, fire-fighting equipment and coordinated response mechanisms.
The YDA president called for an immediate comprehensive review of fire safety arrangements at the children’s wards, neonatal nursery and other sensitive sections of the hospital.
He demanded installation of an adequate number of properly maintained fire extinguishers, establishment of an effective fire safety and emergency response system, centralized oxygen supply arrangements and regular fire safety inspections and mock drills.
Dr Ashraf stressed that preventive measures should be taken before any untoward incident occurs, saying that the safety of patients, attendants and healthcare workers must be given top priority.
He urged the hospital administration to take immediate practical steps to address the reported deficiencies and ensure that the DHQ Hospital meets the required fire safety and emergency preparedness standards.
