Four months after a fire brigade vehicle and a team were deployed at Dr BR Ambedkar State Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), Phase 6, to address fire safety deficiencies, several key works remain incomplete.
The delay has also kept the newly constructed paediatric ward out of use for nearly five months, raising concerns over fire preparedness at one of Mohali’s key government healthcare facilities.
The hospital, which developed from the existing Phase 6 civil hospital, was upgraded to serve as a teaching hospital alongside the medical college. The institute began its first MBBS academic session in February 2022. It provides outpatient consultations, emergency services, inpatient care and treatment across several medical specialities, including medicine, surgery, paediatrics, ENT and respiratory medicine.
The hospital also expanded its outpatient facilities, with a new three-storey OPD block operationalised in August 2026 to accommodate five clinical departments. The facility caters to a substantial number of patients from Mohali and nearby areas.
However, the pending fire safety work has emerged as a major concern. Following a fire safety audit, the medical college management requested the fire department to station a fire brigade vehicle and a team on the premises for one month. The arrangement was intended to ensure immediate assistance in case of a fire until the identified shortcomings were addressed. Four months later, the vehicle continues to remain stationed on campus.
One of the major deficiencies identified during the audit was the inadequate capacity of the water tank connected to the fire-fighting system. Work to increase its capacity has been initiated, but it is yet to be completed.
The delay means that a key component of the fire safety infrastructure is still awaiting improvement.
The newly constructed paediatric ward has also been affected by the pending safety requirements. The ward was built using polyurethane foam (PUF) panel technology, which the audit flagged as a fire safety concern because of the material’s combustible nature.
As a result, the ward remained unused for nearly five months, affecting the availability of the new facility for children requiring hospital care.
Another major concern is the absence of a ramp facility extending up to the fourth floor of the mother and child building. In the event of a fire or another emergency, the lack of such access could make it difficult to move or evacuate patients, particularly those unable to move independently.
The audit also highlighted the need to improve the fire-fighting and fire-detection systems, along with electrical works related to fire safety. These measures are important for detecting a fire at an early stage, alerting occupants and enabling an effective emergency response.
To address the deficiencies, the Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) has floated a tender worth around ₹2 crore. The proposed work includes providing the required ramp facility, upgrading the fire-fighting and fire-detection systems and carrying out the necessary electrical work. Work on increasing the water tank capacity at the Phase 6 medical college is currently underway, while the remaining works are expected to be taken up subsequently.
Amit Aggarwal, additional medical superintendent at the medical college, said a meeting with PHSC has been scheduled for Monday to discuss the pending fire safety issues and decide the next course of action.“On Monday, we have a meeting with PHSC, where we will discuss the fire safety issues and decide what needs to be done next to address the shortcomings,” Aggarwal said.
Ishan Goyal, executive engineer (XEN), PHSC, said the corporation had floated a tender worth around ₹2 crore to carry out the required work. He said the project includes the ramp, fire-fighting and fire-detection systems and electrical work. Work on the water tank at the Phase 6 medical college is already underway, and the remaining work would begin soon.
Shahbaz Singh Bal, assistant divisional fire officer (ADFO) said the fire management work at the medical college is still in progress. He said the management had requested a fire brigade vehicle along with a team for one month around five months ago, but the work had not been completed, due to which the vehicle continued to remain stationed on the premises. With the pending works yet to be completed, the upcoming meeting between the hospital management and PHSC is expected to determine the next steps towards addressing the fire safety deficiencies. Until the required improvements are completed, concerns over emergency preparedness and the continued closure of the paediatric ward are likely to remain.