SCB, most hospitals lack ‘foolproof’ fire safety measures: Audit

Bhubaneswar: An audit by the Odisha fire and emergency services (OFES) directorate revealed that, barring a few, most clinical establishments in the state, including the govt-run SCB medical college and hospital—where 12 patients died in a fire mishap on Monday—do not have “foolproof” fire safety measures in place.

Over the past year, the OFES inspected 2,215 govt and private healthcare facilities across Odisha. “Except for a handful, the majority, including SCB, were found lacking in full compliance. While some hospitals, including SCB, installed fire-fighting equipment, it remained grossly inadequate. We issued recommendations to every defaulting unit, but implementation lies with the hospital authorities,” an OFES officer told TOI on condition of anonymity.




Under the Odisha Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Rules, 2017, all medical or clinic institutions—including district headquarters hospitals, medical colleges, sub-divisional hospitals, and diagnostic centres—are required to maintain adequate fire safety systems.

Sources in the directorate said multiple letters and meetings were held with SCB authorities, stressing the urgent need to upgrade safety infrastructure. Following a 2015 PIL in the Orissa high court highlighting fire safety lapses at the SCB medical college and hospital, the directorate also submitted several affidavits underscoring the risks and remedies.

OFES director general Sudhanshu Sarangi said a review of compliance will now be undertaken. “The Odisha govt showed full commitment to hospital fire safety across the state. We have already conducted a statewide audit across hospitals and issued recommendations. Our immediate focus is to monitor the implementation of those recommendations,” Sarangi said.

According to Sarangi, for the first time the govt made special budgetary allocations in 2025–26 and 2026–27 to strengthen fire safety in govt-run hospitals. District-level committees were formed to expedite planning, tendering, and installation of fire safety systems.

Sarangi said while many hospitals began complying, challenges remain. “Old building structures pose major hurdles, and since hospitals are fully functional, installations risk disrupting patient care. Temporarily halting services is not practically possible. Following govt’s co