"Fire drills have been part of the Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital training for a decade... Each of our staff knows the types of extinguishers to be used for different types of fires… They have been trained to assess the area that needs to be cordoned off and how to even evacuate a woman in labor from a fire site,” stated Dr Minnie Bodhanwala, chief executive officer of the Hospital, as reported in The Times of India (ToI) of August 7, 2022.
Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital Photo: Jasmine D. Driver
The blaze that broke out in the pediatric Hospital on the evening of August 5 in the electric power supply system room on the first floor was contained in 90 minutes, stated a news report. "The blaze was confined to electric wiring, electric installation, central AC, doors, windows and wooden partition in the UPS (uninterrupted power supply) room.” There were no injuries reported, but "the first and second floor were smoke-logged,” reported mid-day of August 6.
"Each Hospital floor had fire marshals who immediately took charge of the situation even as the wet riser system, fire alarm, smoke ventilators were activated, ensuring fire-fighting operations were underway. A senior fire brigade official said the Hospital staff’s response was excellent,” noted ToI. The report added that "many patients had to be shifted to other floors.”
The 300-bed Hospital was founded in 1929 by Sir Ness Wadia and Sir Cusrow Wadia in memory of their mother Jerbai. "Emerging as India’s first pediatric hospital, it was dedicated exclusive to healthcare for children,” states their website wadiahospitals.org. "Located in the heart of the city, the Hospital pledges to extend its services to people, regardless of their socioeconomic status, believing strongly in the fact that quality healthcare should not be restricted to only certain sections of society.”