Old MCH & IMCH lack fire-protection systems

Repeated warnings have gone unheeded, say officials; system at PMSSY block failed to activate during fire incidents

- POOJA NAIR @ Kozhikode

TWO incidents within three days at the newly constructed PMSSY block of the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) have put the spotlight back on long-standing and dangerously ignored fire-safety lapses on the hospital campus.

Though the PMSSY block was completed in 2023 with an in-built fire-safety system, its failure during both incidents has led to growing concerns over safety standards, not just in the new structure but more worryingly, in the older sections of the hospital.

It has come to light that the old block of the MCH does not have a fire protection system, while the Institute of Maternal and Child Health (IMCH) building has a system which is not functioning.