According to recent government orders under Andhra Pradesh Fire Prevention and Safety Measures for High-Rise Hospital Buildings Rules-2011, builders constructing high-rise hospitals have to contribute 25% of the expenditure for building a fire station in the proximity. If a fire station is already there, the hospital has to contribute 25% of expenditure for improving, strengthening and modernizing.
Further, the mandatory clause for providing ramps in such hospitals has been omitted.
A high-rise hospital is one having more than 30 metres height.
A fire service wing official with request for anonymity reportedly said, “Instead, the hospital owner or management has to increase the number of fire lifts and there shall be one lift for every 800 sq. metres floor area on each floor instead of 1,200 sq. metres. There shall be minimum of three power back-ups in the hospital-one exclusively for the building, the second exclusively for all the lifts and the third for all the emergency systems including the emergency lifts”.
Source: DC