Covid hospitals: Supreme Court directs states to appoint nodal officers to ensure fire safety norms

The Supreme Court on Friday directed all hospitals treating Covid-19 patients to appoint a nodal officer to ensure adherence to fire safety norms. The Court has mandated hospitals not having Non Objection Certificates to get it as soon as possible failing which they will be liable to face action. The Court has also observed that all the political events being held must comply with Election Commission guidelines.

A three-judge bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R. Subhash Reddy and M. R. Shah took suo motu cognisance of fire safety measures in Covid hospitals after a fire broke out in a Covid hospital in Rajkot, Gujarat.

Five people died in the fire that broke out at Shivanand Covid Hospital in Rajkot district last month. The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital was the first to catch fire. The ICU dedicated to Covid-19 patients had a total of 11 patients at the time, of which five died. 

The Apex Court in its previous hearing had directed the Central government to file a status report by December 15 on the receipt of audit reports from all states, union territories on Covid-19 facilities in the suo motu case on proper treatment of Covid patients after the deaths in the fire.

The bench had told the Gujarat government to file a detailed affidavit on the Rajkot tragedy. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench that the report with regard to the fire safety audit of states is under preparation.

Justice Shah had observed that even after the Supreme Court directing  the home secretary to take steps, nothing has been done. Mehta had said that a committee would inquire into the Rajkot Covid-19 hospital incident.

Last month, the top court had observed that the pandemic situation is likely to worsen across the country and that the states as well as the Centre must be well-equipped to deal with the crisis. Following which the bench had directed Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Assam to file status reports with respect to Covid-19 cases, the ground situation for handling crisis as well as steps taken.