Experts say structures that violate building codes are highly vulnerable during earthquakes. While the Kathmandu Valley is considered to be one of the most earthquake-prone cities in the world, it has been revealed that a majority of private hospitals in the Valley are operating illegally in buildings that were originally constructed for residential purpose.[break]
When an earthquake strikes, it is the hospitals where the disaster victims are rushed to. But several surveys and studies point out that most of the hospitals themselves would be at high risk when a powerful earthquake jolts the Kathmandu Valley.
A latest study conducted by the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC) states that around 80 percent of private hospitals in the valley are running from residential houses. Currently, there are 94 private hospitals in the Valley.
The residential buildings do not meet the criteria outlined in the national building code required for hospitals and academic institutions, officials at the DUDBC point out.
Altogether 70 of the total registered hospitals, including Alka Hospital, Norvic Hospital, Global Hospital, Ishan Children´s Nursing Home, Mahendra Narayan Hospital and Helping Hand Community Hospital, have been found in violation of the National Building Code, meaning that that they are vulnerable in earthquakes.
Although these private hospitals have a combined capacity of 14,000 beds, these beds will not be of any use in the aftermath of a high-magnitude earthquake.
In the last two years, only Grande International Hospital and Star Hospital in the Kathmandu Valley have been given approval as their building designs were found in compliance with the building code.
"Otherwise, a majority of the hospitals are operating out of rental or residential buildings," said Ramesh Prasad Singh, Deputy Director General of the DUDBC.
According to the directive issued by the Ministry of Urban Development on July 12, 2011, private hospitals should obtain approval from the DUDBC in tune with the National Building Code, 2060 BS, Building Guidelines, 2066 BS and Building Act, 2055 BS, among others, while applying for license or renewal of the license at the Ministry of Health and Population. The government has assigned the responsibility to the DUDBC.
Until and unless the DUDBC approves that the existing building of a particular house is safe in terms of disaster preparedness, the MoHP cannot issue license or renew the license.
DDG Singh said a majority of the private hospitals are yet to get the permanent license of 10 years from the MoHP as their buildings do not follow the building code.
Following the directive, the MoHP has neither issued license to any new hospitals lately, nor renewed licenses of the existing private hospitals. The ministry has been asking the hospitals to first get their building map approved by the DUDBC, said Dipendra Raman Singh, an official with the Hospitals Monitoring Department of the MoHP.
The department had earlier issued a public notice calling for all the private hospitals to seek approval for their building maps from the office. However, a report submitted by a study committee appointed by the MoUD shows that around 35 hospitals had taken approval forms but only 5 have submitted their building map designs, out of which only two private hospitals have received approval for the new building design map.
The hospitals operating from a residential building can present the building design maps showing retrofitting measures they would take to make the building safer in terms of earthquake resistance, said Singh.
"Other 41 hospitals have not taken approval form as they have been operating in rental or residential buildings," said Singh, adding, many residential buildings are so vulnerable that they are not even fit for a household.
He said the main aim of the DUDBC is to bring all the private hospitals under the frame of the national building code to ensure disaster preparedness. "Earlier, the Land Revenue Office had been assigned to monitor any building likely to be used for business purposes, including for running hospitals and academic institutions. As the officials at the revenue office approved the building without any monitoring, many hospitals have been running out of residential buildings at present."
Unlike residential buildings, a hospital building has different architectural design and it has capacity to hold hundreds of people at a time, he said.
"As many hospitals are running from rented buildings, it will be difficult to bring such hospitals to follow the national building code," he said. He further said that hospitals with more than 50 beds should compulsorily have their own building.
"We will not straight away take actions against those private hospitals who have flouted the rules. We will give them some time to make changes to fall in line with the building code," he said.
He said that erring hospitals might be given six months to get their building maps approved and another two years to construct the building. "If the hospitals fail to follow the guidelines, the MoHP might scrap their license," he added.
He warned of taking legal actions against the hospitals that continue to ignore DUDBC order.
"We are very much concerned about the issue as the Kathmandu Valley is increasingly at the high-risk of earthquake," he said.
In a bid to minimize possible damages resulting from earthquakes in future, the government has been lately involved in developing various policies.
It is preparing guidelines for retrofitting buildings that are already built without adhering to the national building code.
Likewise, the government has introduced the automation system in KMC and Lalitpur Sub-metropolitan City to help in maintaining up-to-date records of all physical infrastructures and in effective enforcement of the national building code for disaster preparedness.
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