Bengaluru: The state government’s mandatory rule to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) related to fire safety has hampered the new licenses and license renewals of private hospitals in the state.

According to the Karnataka Private Medical Institutions Act (KPME), it is mandatory to implement fire safety measures and obtain a no objection letter from the state fire safety department to obtain and renew a license. This is delaying the registration of private health institutions and hindering the provision of medical services to the public.

Earlier, only hospitals with buildings above 21 meters in height had to obtain a NOC related to fire safety. However, now hospitals and clinics with a height of less than that must obtain a NOC. Otherwise, the hospital will not be recognized. Also, a rule has been made to prevent the renewal of licenses. Thus, the renewal of licenses of 3,000 small and medium hospitals in the state has been delayed. If this continues, this number will increase to 15,000 in two to three months, said Dr V Suriraju, Secretary of the Indian Medical Association.

The order issued by the state government recently regarding fire safety permits seems to have paved the way for corruption. Also, it is mandatory to obtain a fire safety advisory letter from the fire department once every two years. For this, small hospitals and clinics pay a one-time fee of Rs 30-50,000, while hospitals larger than 21 meters have to pay a fee of lakhs of rupees per square foot. This rule has become a burden on hospitals. Therefore, the Indian Medical Association has urged the state government to provide a solution to the problems faced by private hospitals regarding fire safety permits.

There is a lot of confusion regarding the implementation of fire safety measures and the no-objection letter from the state fire department, and clear guidelines should be provided. Also, a separate ‘Karnataka Medical Institutions Safety Act’ should be formulated in the state as has already been implemented in the states of Maharashtra and Telangana. Thus, the association has demanded that the process of obtaining fire safety permits be streamlined in coordination with the Health Department, Home Department and Fire Department and that the KPME license be renewed at the appropriate time.