Two years after a fire killed 95 patients, AMRI set to reopen

If you visit the website of AMRI hospitals today, it seems like the usual glossy hospital website that promises you world-class care in a bouquet of medical departments, everything from cardiac surgery to pediatric care. There’s no reference to the devastating fire of December 2011, which claimed over 95 lives. The fire was put down to alleged negligence on the part of the hospital owners, and six board members were arrested on charges of alleged culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Following this, a series of questions were raised which did not portray AMRI’s safety regulations in a good light. [caption id=“attachment_864625” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  IBN Live image[/caption] The fire began in the basement, where the hospital was storing diesel and other highly flammable materials alongside highly combustible materials like trash and old mattresses. After the devastating fire broke out, sprinklers did not work and switched off fire alarms did not ring. Besides this, the exit points were locked, portable fire extinguishers were not available and the staircases were blocked with boxes, it has been reported. Nine owners and administrators of AMRI were arrested post the tragedy for their involvement in the negligence which led to it. They were let out on bail at different times, and the newly-constituted board has only two of the original members on it, with the other 12 having been let go. The owners, however, continue to be the same Emami and Shrachi group who run some other hospitals in the city. But a report in today’s Telegraph suggests that AMRI might reopen. It was last week that the fire department conducted a long-awaited inspection of the hospital. The hospital had been kept waiting for months, which some suggest was an attempt by the government to stall the reopening of the hospital. Getting a no-objection certificate from the fire department would make getting the required clearances from the health department and the Calcutta Municipal Corporation easier to get for the hospital, which according to officials should open in the next two to four weeks. It was exactly a year ago that reports of AMRI reopening first began emerging, when the hospital first sought an inspection from the fire department following two months of extensive renovation. But back then the health department had categorically refused to withdraw the prohibitory order against the hospital until they could get a comprehensive look at the hospital’s final renovations. AMRI, on the other hand, was carrying ahead with extensive renovations such as fireproof doors and a fire detection unit. According to a report in The Indian Express, in another move to guarantee safety, the fire department created a new director post in 2011 whose job will be solely to oversee the allotment of no-objection certificates (NOCs) to all buildings. While the fire department has been accused of gross negligence in the past (what was happening during earlier inspections of the AMRI premises?) it’s hoped that the improvements this time will not be merely cosmetic. For now, AMRI’s path seems to have been cleared. “The unstated brief until recently was to keep the fire-safety inspection and the requisite clearances on hold. All that seems to have changed,” an official told The Telegraph. Now all that’s left to get is a few more permissions, and the required man force, including doctors. The hospital will also have to work towards regaining the public’s confidence, since 2011’s events won’t be forgotten in a hurry.