Materia Medica Malaysiana

Firetraps in hospitals

PETALING JAYA: Some private hospitals are potential firetraps and also operating without a valid licence from the Health Ministry.

Sources said such hospitals, including one in Kuala Lumpur that was well-known, had not obtained fire safety certificates from the Fire and Rescue Department because they had failed to meet safety requirements – staffing and physical facilities on fire safety – as required under the Private Hospitals Act 1971.

“The electrical wiring of some of these hospitals are also in question while some did not have fire insurance coverage,” said a source, who noted that the Act to regulate private hospitals stopped short of empowering the ministry to shut down such illegal hospitals.

“Such illegal hospitals are simply exposing patients, in particular, to danger,” said a senior medical specialist.

He pointed out that the quality of electrical wiring in hospitals was important because hospitals used various equipment, including those needing a high voltage.

The specialist also said that hospitals should conduct regular fire drills to train and familiarise staff on how to cope with emergencies – from the handling of equipment like fire extinguishers to evacuating patients, who were not so mobile, to safety.

“The ministry should expose hospitals operating illegally for the public to make an informed choice.

“Patients can also ask hospitals whether they had a valid licence before deciding to seek treatment,” said the specialist.

Fomca adviser Datuk Prof Hamdan Adnan said the Fire and Rescue Department should alert local authorities, who were empowered to close down illegal premises, to act on illegal hospitals.

“The department is equally responsible if it failed to alert the authorities concerned should a fire break out in the illegal hospitals,” he added.