HC directs govt to ensure ramps in all high-rise hospital

Stressing the need for ramps facility in high-rise hospitals, the Madras High Court today directed the government to ensure that all hospitals functioning in high-rise buildings in Tamil Nadu have the facility from the top floor to the ground floor.
The first bench, comprising of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, gave the direction while passing interim orders on a PIL by one Jawaharlal Shanmugam.
The petitioner contended that there were many multi-speciality hospitals, run by government as well as private, functioning in high-rise buildings and most of them had no ramp facility.
The managements of the hospitals have not taken a "serious view" on the safety of patients, staff, visitors and not given due importance to the safety measures", he submitted.

In case of emergency, patients could not be evacuated from the buildings, the petitioner submitted.
The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority should have a list of high-rise buildings where hospitals are run and that it would not be difficult for it to ensure that necessary facilities as suggested by the petitioner are made available in these hospitals, the bench said.
If some of them do not have the facility, then notice be issued for purpose of compliance. The Health Department should examine as to what kind of circular can be issued to the local authorities to ensure the compliance of the norms, the bench said and posted the matter for further hearing to January 19, 2016.