Raipur: Health Minister Shayam Bihari Jaiswal appeared unprepared in the house when he was questioned about Fire Safety Audits (FSA) in hospitals during the Chhattisgarh Assembly’s Question Hour on Thursday.
BJP MLA Dharmjeet Singh raised concerns, alleging that fire audit certificates are being sold for Rs 2,000 and inquired about the government’s fire safety provisions and the status of audits for both government and private hospitals.
Instead of addressing the questions directly, Jaiswal stated that fire safety is mandatory for hospitals with over 30 beds and exceeding 9 meters in height, and that audits are conducted regularly, with penalties for negligence.
He clarified that the Home Department is responsible for conducting fire safety audits and issuing certificates, indicating that this matter does not fall under the Nursing Act.
Singh countered that the minister seemed not fully informed about the fire safety audits and questioned how licenses could be issued without proper inspections.
Both ministers were urged to ensure competent officials conduct the fire safety audits. However, Home Minister Vijay Sharma acknowledged the importance of the issue, admitting that no progress had been made in the last five years, but assured that action would follow this discussion.