The webinars on 3rd and 10th August 2022 were organized to generate awareness on the fire risk hazards, codal provisions for fire safety and in identifying local challenges on ensuring functioning fire safety system in the hospitals. The webinars also highlighted the significance of health emergency and disaster management planning in each hospital for uninterrupted essential health services with safety and security of patients, their attendants and the hospitals staff in routine as well as in emergency situations.
Safety and functional viability of health facilities in routine as well as in emergency situations are critical for uninterrupted delivery of essential health services. Care and treatment spaces had to be rapidly expanded with arrangements for oxygen therapy to manage the high caseloads during the waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. The urgent and reactive response precluded concurrent provisioning for the fire safety even in health facilities that were equipped to deliver oxygen therapy. This unfortunately exposed many patients, caregivers, and hospital staff to higher risk due to fire hazards.
Fire incidents have been reported in hospitals and temporary COVID-19 care facilities in the South-East Asia Region. The inherent fire hazard risk increased significantly in health facilities due to the oxygen-rich environment; presence of alcohol-based hand sanitizers; overloaded electrical systems; inadequate fire suppression and protection systems; and staff members inexperienced in ensuring fire safety. To enable health facilities to become fire-hazard resilient, it is essential to assess fire-hazard risks and strengthen fire safety through planning and implementing risk mitigation and response readiness interventions with effective training.
WHE / SEARO in collaboration with the GeoHazards International initiated fire safety interventions in health facilities after receiving requests from the Member States (MS). Webinars were organized on 3rd and 10th August 2022 to raise awareness on fire risks, fire safety systems and their periodic functional assessment in health facilities. Over 60 participants from the MS and WHO Country Offices participated in these webinars. The MS participants included Ministry of Health officials; hospital administrators; clinical and para-clinical personnel; and electricians, maintenance engineers and other support services staff responsible for fire safety in hospitals.Over 60 participants from the Member States and WHO Country Offices from the South-East Asia Region participated in these webinars.