Telangana Hospitals: 1-Month Deadline for Safety Overhaul

Telangana's government hospitals have been given a one-month deadline to complete thorough fire, electrical, and structural safety audits. This directive follows a recent review chaired by Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha. Officials were instructed to ensure that audit findings are met with prompt, time-bound corrective actions, prioritizing the immediate rectification of life-threatening deficiencies.

Moving forward, fire and electrical safety audits will be conducted every six months, with structural audits to be performed annually. Deficiencies will be categorized by severity into emergency, immediate, and routine. The audits will specifically verify the functionality of fire safety equipment, not merely its availability. Sensitive zones within hospitals, such as ICUs and operation theatres, will require dedicated evacuation plans and regular mock drills.

District-level committees, led by collectors and including officials from health, power, and fire services, will monitor safety compliance. A state-level committee, chaired by the health minister, will provide oversight. The government also commits to providing separate funds for equipment maintenance and will assign clear responsibility for upkeep at each hospital, extending strengthened monitoring to private facilities.