Meditrina Hospital declared unsafe

 

 

 Staff Reporter

 

(NMC) Fire Department through its letter dated February 18, 2025 has declared Meditrina Hospital in Ramdaspeth as highly unsafe and has ordered the hospital management to evacuate the building immediately. The hospital has been functioning for last 13 years without mandatory fire compliance certificate and essential fire prevention and life safety measures. Despite being given sufficient time, the hospital management failed to implement required systems, the letter read. Earlier, NMC's Health Department on February 12, 2025 issued a notice stating that the hospital's registration would be canceled if it did not obtain fire compliance certificate within one month. On February 18, 2025, Fire Department issued a letter to M/s VRG Healthcare Private Limited (Meditrina Hospital), declaring the hospital as highly unsafe and instructing all occupants to vacate the premises, effectively shutting down the hospital. Vikas Thakre, MLA from West Nagpur and President of Nagpur District (City) Congress Committee, lodged a complaint with NMC on January 1, 2025, citing hospital's lack of fire prevention and life safety measures, along with various violations and irregularities.

 

Taking serious cognizance of the complaint, fire department issued a notice to the hospital on January 9, 2025, directing installation of fire prevention and life safety systems within one month. The hospital's non-compliance led to it being declared highly unsafe and subsequent evacuation order. According to Fire Department's report, the hospital lacks 29 types of fire safety measures. Unauthorized constructions and the presence of an oxygen plant obstruct access for fire tenders to the rear and sides of the building. Additionally, a kitchen and storeroom have been constructed on the terrace, and the basement parking area is being used for generators and other equipment. In response to these issues, Vikas Thakre filed a complaint against NMC officials with Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, leading to a meeting on February 12, 2025, to address the matter. Meanwhile in reply to the order issued by NMC Fire Department, Dr Sameer Paltewar, Chairman and Managing Director of Meditrina Hospital said, “Through our letter dated February 15, 2025, we have given pictorial evidences in this regard.

 

We would like to inform you again that we have valid Fire NoC since 2010 and are submitting valid B-Forms every six months since 2018. Your repeated references and order to us and different other NMC departments stating non-availability of fire NoC and other irregularities at our hospital is a total falsehood. In recent past, your own fire officers have appreciated and participated in multiple mock fire drills at our hospital. Both your letters in the above reference are bad in law. The political interference in our internal private matters confirm that your recent communication orders against our hospital are under political pressure and completely illegal.” When ‘The Hitavada’ contacted Chief Fire Officer B P Chandankhede said, “We have to check the authenticity of the certificates the hospital received. A and B forms don’t carry much value. We will investigate which agency has issued the hospital the certificate and seek permission from the higher authorities to cancel the registration of the agency which has issued the certificate to the hospital.”