BANGALORE: It’s a time bomb. As per the records of the department of fire and emergency , not a single nursing home in Bangalore has obtained a fire safety noobjection certificate (NoC).

“They don’t come under the category of multi-storeyed buildings . However , they should have an NoC from us; but we haven’t received a single application so far ,” says BK Hampagol , deputy director (technical ), department of fire and emergency.

There are approximately 800 nursing homes in the city . Of these, 270 are members of the Private Nursing Home and Hospital Association (PNHAHA).

A typical nursing home operates in a congested area in a two-storeyed building and has up to 30 beds.

“The government enforced the Karnataka Medical Establishment Act in 2010. It insisted that all medical care provider units should be registered. Under it,thedistricthealthcareofficer isempowered to inspect any nursing home and issue a certificate ,” says Nagendraswamy , a member of PNHAHA.

PNHAHA members say under the Fire Establishment Act, only a building more than 50 metres tall needs to obtain an NoC, but it’s mandatory to have fire safety measures for patients. However , a reality check shows there are several nursing homes that operate out of dingy commercial complexes.

Fire services officers are worried because nursing homes – short of space – store gas cylinders and other inflammable material on their premises . “Because of the topography , a fire could spread to adjacent buildings ,” says Hampagol.