Hospital sealed, doctor moves HC

Hospital sealed, doctor moves HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:  17.03.2021 

A doctor practising in the Nava Vadaj area for 27 years has moved the Gujarat high court after the AMC sealed his hospital in a fire safety drive. The drive has been launched following the HC’s directions to implement fire safety norms at hospitals.

The civic authorities sealed the administration room and the OPD of Jivandeep Hospital on March 6. Its owner, Dr Chinubhai Patel, has filed an application in the high court complaining that he was only orally told by the authorities that the sealing was taking place.

The sealing order said that the hospital did not have a proper building-use (BU) permission. The BU permission was for residential purpose and therefore the hospital cannot continue to function in the absence of the appropriate BU permission, the order said.

Dr Patel has submitted in his application that since a part of his hospital has been sealed, emergency services have stopped, and regular patients are suffering.

The doctor has maintained that his hospital has been duly registered and has the proper BU permission. He said there are necessary firefighting equipment installed at the hospital and a no-objection certificate has been issued by the chief fire officer. He has submitted that the hospital functions on the ground floor and his family lives on the first floor of the building.

The doctor has submitted that there is no violation of law and he is qualified to run the hospital. He has sought directions of the high court to the AMC to remove the seal.

On February 26, the high court issued a stern warning to all hospitals to either follow the norms or “shut the shop”. This happened during the hearing of a PIL filed by advocate Amit Panchal seeking action against those responsible for the fire at Shrey Hospital on August 6, 2020. Eight Covid-19 patients had lost their lives in the tragedy.