Pune: Private hospitals asked to submit fire audit report by Thursday, govt hospitals by month-end

According to a report shared by the district administration, fire audit had been carried out in 722 of the 737 hospitals in the district till May 24.

District collector at Aundh district hospital

In the wake of the Ahmednagar hospital fire incident, which left 11 Covid-19 patients dead on Saturday, Pune district collector Dr Rajesh Deshmukh has asked all government hospitals in the district to ensure a fire audit and submit a compliance report by the end of the month.

Private hospitals have been directed to file a compliance report by Thursday.

Taking a review of the fire safety precautions at government hospitals in the district, Deshmukh told The Indian Express: “Those who are not found to be fully compliant will be issued a final notice.” Depending on severity of risk, legal action will be taken, Pune Zilla Parishad CEO Ayush Prasad said.

At least Rs 7 crore has been provided by the District Planning and Development Council funds to 27 hospitals in Pune rural, including the 300-bed District hospital at Aundh, for pending works such as fitting water sprinkler system and installation of a fire hydrant system.

Also Read | Ahmednagar hospital fire: Health Minister suspends civil surgeon, 3 staffers

“In rural areas, after the fire audit, we had approved 27 locations where an amount of Rs 7 crore was sanctioned for filling the gaps and meeting deficiencies. I took a review and out of 27, 18 hospitals were found to have completed the work,” Deshmukh, who visited Aundh district hospital along with Prasad and other officials, said. The remaining hospitals have been directed to complete the work by November 20, he added.

According to a report shared by the district administration, fire audit had been carried out in 722 of the 737 hospitals in the district till May 24.

During his inspection, the district collector issued a slew of instructions to officials, including identifying hospitals that are yet to be audited for fire and electrical safety and conducting fire drills at major locations. “There are fire extinguishers in place but most of the time people do not know how to operate them,” Deshmukh said.

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“District hospital at Aundh is located in an old building and there is a requirement for an underground tank and alarm system, which are being installed,” Dr Ashok Nandapurkar, district civil surgeon, said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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