Ludhiana, Nov. 24 -- After a delay of over a year and a half in securing necessary approvals, the Ludhiana civil hospital has finally received permission to hire the trained firemen required to operate its completed fire detection and fighting system. This critical infrastructure has remained unused since its installation was finalised in March 2024.

The history of the system is marked by stops and starts; installation commenced in 2018 but stalled midway. It was only after a minor fire broke out at the hospital in March 2024 that the issue gained urgency, prompting the rapid completion of the system's physical setup. However, operational rules mandate that trained firemen must be on staff to run the system effectively.

Though the hospi...