KATH indicted for improper housekeeping against fire

Dr. Albert Brown Gaisie, the Chief Fire Officer, has expressed concern over the congestion and improper housekeeping of the Medicine Management Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).

He has, therefore, asked the authorities of the referral facility to take urgent steps to put things right to avoid disaster.

He noted that its poor ventilation could also complicate and make it difficult to tackle any fire emergency.

This followed an inspection tour of the unit as part of his two-day official visit to the Ashanti Region to assess fire safety measures put in place by government institutions.

Dr. Gaisie again highlighted the danger posed by human and vehicular traffic at the hospital and said that could make it hard to evacuate people in the event of a fire outbreak.

That is why no effort should be spared to decongest the facility without delay.

He also called for the replacement of electrical wirings of the hospital, which were done about six decades ago.

Additionally, there should be an evacuation plan, trained fire wardens at the wards, and early fire warning systems.

Dr. Joseph Akpaloo, the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, said they had already initiated moves to control vehicular traffic at the hospital.

They had also not closed their eyes to fire safety and were working to promote fire prevention, he said.

Dr. Gaisie had earlier visited the Regional Medical Stores and the Garden City Radio (GCR), an FM Radio Station, operated by the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), where he encouraged the government and quasi-government institutions to prioritize fire safety.

He said it was important for them to act to prevent fire to protect lives and property.