Bhubaneswar: The govt on Tuesday directed all hospitals to ensure that fire safety alert systems remain active at all times. While the directive did not specify the immediate trigger, it bore significance in light of allegations from staff at SCB Medical College and Hospital that critical alarm devices had been switched off when a massive fire broke out early on Monday, killing 12 patients.The govt has already set up a judicial commission to probe the circumstances leading to the tragedy.On Tuesday, chief secretary Anu Garg chaired a high-level meeting to review fire safety protocol in govt hospitals and other facilities.Although the govt has not officially confirmed whether SCB’s fire alarm system was disabled, some officials acknowledged that the allegation surfaced from hospital staff. Officials said the charges were being verified.“Fire alarm systems must remain switched on and active 24×7 to ensure effective preparedness for emergency. Regular maintenance and inspection of firefighting equipment to ensure functionality is mandatory. Mock drills should be conducted across the state,” the chief secretary’s office said in a written statement after the review meeting.Plans are afoot to conduct a third-party audit of fire safety measures in hospitals and across all govt buildings in the state, the statement highlighted. District collectors have been instructed to expedite the installation of fire safety systems in hospitals.During the meeting, fire service DG Sudhanshu Sarangi reported that 2,215 government and private healthcare facilities across Odisha had received fire safety recommendations over the past year following an exhaustive audit. While many hospitals have begun compliance, challenges persist. “Old building structures pose major hurdles, and since hospitals remain fully functional, installations risk disrupting patient care. Temporarily halting services is not practically possible,” an official explained.According to sources, the chief secretary directed district authorities to ensure that the budget sanctioned exclusively for improving fire safety in govt hospitals is effectively and timely utilised. The allocation went up from Rs 320 crore in the current fiscal to Rs 400 crore in 2026-27.The authorities also discussed demolishing old govt buildings where fire safety compliance remains a major challenge.
