New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Emphasising that ensuring safety within institutions is a shared and collective responsibility, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava on Monday inaugurated the nationwide observance of Fire Safety Week, aimed at strengthening preparedness and prevention systems across healthcare facilities.

The week-long campaign, being held from May 4 to May 10, has been launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in partnership with all States and Union Territories and in coordination with other central ministries and departments.

The initiative began with a nationwide pledge ceremony centred on the theme “Fire Safety in Health Facilities”.

Addressing the occasion, Srivastava said this year’s broader theme — “Safe Schools, Safe Hospitals, and a Fire-Safety Aware Society: Together for Fire Prevention” — highlighted the need for collective accountability in ensuring safety standards.

“Fire safety week provides an important opportunity to reassess existing infrastructure, evaluate whether facilities have been adequately audited and identify gaps and discrepancies that need to be addressed,” Srivastava added.

Emphasising capacity building, she stressed that healthcare professionals must be adequately trained and sensitized to effectively respond to fire emergencies.

She further urged all States and healthcare facilities to regularly upload fire safety audit details on the IHIP portal, noting that such practices would institutionalise compliance and serve as a continuous reminder for maintaining safety standards.

Highlighting progress, she said over 50,000 participants have already completed fire safety training through the iGOT platform, including several government institutions, and called for scaling up such efforts.

“Through Jan Bhagidari (people’s participation), a meaningful and sustained impact can be achieved in strengthening fire safety across the country,” she added.

Echoing similar concerns, Krishna S. Vatsa, Member and Head at the National Disaster Management Authority, emphasised the need for a proactive, systems-based approach to fire safety in hospitals.

“The authority plans to organise five regional programmes along with initiatives at state and district levels to enhance preparedness and capacity building,” he noted.

Speaking at the event, Sunil Kumar Jha, Director General (Fire Services), highlighted that hospitals are highly sensitive environments where even minor lapses can have severe consequences.

–IANS

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