Nagpur: Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) Fire Department on Tuesday, February 18 had declared Meditrina Hospital in Ramdaspeth as highly unsafe and has ordered immediate evacuation of the building. However, the hospital administration has refuted the claim and labelled it sheer conspiracy to defame their institution.
The hospital has been operating for the past 13 years without mandatory Fire Compliance Certificate and lacks essential fire prevention and life safety measures. Despite being given sufficient time by Fire Department, the hospital failed to implement required systems.
Earlier, NMC's Health Department on February 2, 2025 issued a notice stating that the hospital's registration would be canceled if it did not obtain Fire Compliance Certificate within one month.
On February 18, 2025, Fire Department issued a letter to M/s VRG Healthcare Private Limited (Meditrina Hospital), declaring the hospital as highly unsafe and instructing all occupants to vacate the premises, effectively shutting down the hospital.
Vikas Thakre, MLA from West Nagpur and President of Nagpur District (City) Congress Committee, lodged a complaint with NMC on 01-01-2025, citing hospital's lack of fire prevention and life safety measures, along with various violations and irregularities. Taking serious cognizance of the complaint, Fire Department issued a notice to the hospital on January 9, 2025, directing installation of fire prevention and life safety systems within one month. The hospital's non-compliance led to it being declared highly unsafe and subsequent evacuation order.
According to Fire Department's report, the hospital lacks 29 types of fire safety measures. Unauthorized constructions and the presence of an oxygen plant obstruct access for fire tenders to the rear and sides of the building. Additionally, a kitchen and storeroom have been constructed on the terrace, and the basement parking area is being used for generators and other equipment.
In response to these issues, Vikas Thakre filed a complaint against NMC officials with Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, leading to a meeting on February 12, 2025, to address the matter.
Thakre had previously demanded the cancellation of the hospital's registration on December 23, 2020. The hospital's director, Dr. Sameer Paltewar, has multiple FIRs filed against him, including a Rs 3 crore fraud case on 22-01-2019, related to Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana. Other allegations involve billing discrepancies and financial irregularities, with cases filed on 20-01-2021, and 20-02-2021. Additionally, on 14-12-2024, an FIR was registered for obstructing access to the hospital by locking its doors, preventing entry for patients and other directors.
Hospital Refuted Claims:
In a statement released by Meditrina Hospital, the institution refuted claims made by the authorities, alleging that they were issued under sheer political pressure.
“We would like to reiterate that we have previously informed on multiple occasions about the complete firefighting facilities available at Meditrina Institute of Medical Sciences, Ramdaspeth, Nagpur. In our previous letters dated February 15, 2025, we have provided pictorial evidence in this regard. We would also like to reaffirm that we have held a valid Fire NoC since 2010 and have been submitting valid B-Forms every six months since 2018 (Annexure I – all Fire NoCs, Annexure II – Recent B-Form, December),” the statement reads.
“These documents prove that multiple independent firefighting agencies, including your own office, have ratified the functioning of firefighting systems at our hospital on multiple occasions. Your repeated references and orders to us, as well as to various NMC departments, falsely stating the non-availability of a Fire NoC and other irregularities at our hospital, are completely untrue.
In the recent past, your own fire officers have appreciated and actively participated in multiple mock fire drills conducted at our hospital. Both of your letters referenced above are legally untenable. Recent newspaper reports and political interference in our internal private matters further confirm that your recent communications and orders against our hospital are politically motivated and completely illegal.
We urge you to refrain from becoming part of a malicious agenda aimed at tarnishing the reputation of our hospital. We also request that you immediately withdraw all orders issued in this matter, including the communication dated February 15, 2025. We await confirmation of the recall order.”
