Angul: The authorities of the district headquarters hospital here Saturday sent 81 fire extinguishers to Bhubaneswar for refilling after a fire safety check. The inspection showed that many fire extinguishers in the hospital were not meeting safety standards.
The check revealed that the gas pressure in many cylinders was less than the recommended level and that many had crossed expiry dates.
Based on the findings, 81 fire extinguishers were sent for refilling and their powder restocked. The process will be completed within a week by a private supplier in Bhubaneswar.
The fire safety check was conducted after Odia daily ‘Dharitri’ published a news item on firefighting equipment at the DHH.
The report said five date-expired cylinders were hanging on the walls of the DHH’s Obstetrics and Gynaecology ward.
When contacted, DHH manager Debashis Das said, “The five-storey building that houses the Obstetrics and Gynaecology ward is under the R&B Department. We do not know who takes decisions on firefighting equipment. We will check the equipment in the building and if required the R&B Department will be informed.”
PNN