Only 329 of 8,728 hospitals in K'taka meet fire safety standards, raising safety concerns
Bengaluru: A startling revelation has come to light as only 329 of the 8,728 registered government and private hospitals in Karnataka comply with mandated fire safety standards, sparking serious questions about the safety of patients and staff.
Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, responding to a question by Legislative Council member Dhananjay Sarji, disclosed that merely 14 out of 2,878 government hospitals and 315 of 5,850 private hospitals have implemented the required fire safety measures, according to a report by The New Indian Express published on Tuesday.
As per the National Building Code, all hospitals in the state are required to adopt uniform fire safety protocols. However, the vast majority have yet to meet these standards. In 2024 alone, three hospitals reported fire-related incidents, prompting a special meeting to address the issue, which previously had not received adequate attention.
The assessment revealed that 2,864 government hospitals are currently non-compliant with fire safety regulations. Gundu Rao estimated that achieving fire safety clearance for all government hospitals would cost approximately Rs 550 crore.
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Congress misleading public on National Herald case, matter still in court: BJP
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Wednesday accused the Congress of running misleading propaganda over the trial court's decision in the National Herald case and said the court refused to take cognisance of the complaint but did not set aside the case.
The case is still pending trial in the Delhi High Court, and the trial court in its order on Tuesday said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) can continue its investigation, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia asserted.
"The court yesterday (Tuesday) said that since it is a private complaint and no FIR has been lodged, it will not take cognizance of it. It's a technical matter. The court also said that ED can continue its investigation further. The court did not set it aside," Bhatia told a press conference at the BJP headquarters here
"Its trial is still going on. Sonia Gandhi is still Accused Number-1 and Rahul Gandhi Accused Number-2," the BJP spokesperson said, alleging, "The Gandhi family thrives on deceit, deception, and propaganda."
