Telangana releases ₹11.1 crore for RIMS Adilabad repairs, orders hospital safety audits
Telangana has sanctioned ₹11.1 crore for repairs at RIMS Adilabad after a fire killed five infants, and ordered safety audits of all government hospitals within a month.
The Telangana government has sanctioned ₹11.1 crore for urgent repairs and renovation at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Adilabad, days after a fire at the hospital killed five infants.
Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha directed officials to begin the restoration and infrastructure works immediately and finish them on priority. The funds were cleared after the district administration, working with other departments, carried out a field inspection and drew up cost estimates for the hospital.
The largest share of the allocation, ₹5 crore, is meant for maintenance and repair of toilets and bathrooms. Renovation of the Sick Newborn Care Unit and painting of the hospital building have been given ₹1 crore each.
Another ₹1.6 crore will go towards repairing the CC pavement and the damaged compound wall on the RIMS premises. The government has set aside ₹1.5 crore for urgent repairs to the oxygen pipeline system and ₹1 crore for electrical repairs.
The funding decision comes as the health department widens its review of fire safety arrangements at government and private hospitals throughout the state in the wake of the RIMS incident.
The Minister instructed that fire safety, electrical safety and structural safety audits be completed at all government hospitals within a month. Under the revised schedule, fire and electrical safety audits are to be carried out once every six months, while structural safety audits will be taken up annually.
He said the government would soon issue a Government Order laying down comprehensive fire safety guidelines and a standard checklist for hospitals. The checklist is expected to cover fire alarms, extinguishers, hydrants, sprinkler systems, fire water lines, emergency exits and lighting, electrical panels and wiring, DG sets, air-conditioning units and oxygen supply systems. The audits will also check whether the safety equipment already installed is in working condition.