Gujarat hospitals seek clarification on HC’s order to remove glass facades

Ahmedabad: Two hospitals, namely Zydus Hospital & Healthcare Research Pvt Ltd and Apex Heart Institute, have approached the Gujarat High Court to seek clarification of the HC’s previous order to remove glass facades from their buildings.

The HC had ordered the removal of glass facades after a fire in a city hospital, in which smoke couldn’t escape from the building due to the glass facade. This order was issued after a PIL by petitioner-advocate Amit Panchal, who sought the implementation of fire safety rules in hospitals after eight Covid-19 patients died in a fire at Shrey Hospital in Ahmedabad in August 2020.

The hospitals have filed applications expressing their concerns about the order and its impact on their hospital buildings. They argued that the glass facade is on the outer side of the buildings and that it was preferred over a plain wall so that the buildings have direct sunlight to prevent a gloomy atmosphere. Additionally, the lawyers stated that the AMC and its fire brigade had approved the buildings’ designs.

The bench headed by Acting Chief Justice A J Desai has transferred the application to the bench of Justice Ashutosh Shastri and Justice Ilesh Vora, as they were part of the bench that announced the previous order. DeshGujarat