New Delhi, May 23 -- The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) has declined to renew fire safety certificates for certain prominent hospitals in the city, including Lok Nayak Hospital, Ambedkar Nagar Hospital, Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital and two blocks of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), according to people familiar with the matter. This comes after DFS found these hospitals violating multiple fire safety regulations during inspections, they said. The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) has refused to renew fire safety certificates for at least four major government hospitals in the Capital-including Lok Nayak Hospital (LNH), Ambedkar Nagar Hospital, Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital, and two non-medical blocks at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-due to unresolved safety violations, officials familiar with the matter said. The refusals follow a series of periodical inspections carried out between March and May 2025. At Lok Nayak, DFS flagged hazardous electrical wiring, disconnected fire alarms and public address systems, and non-functional fire control panels. At Bhagwan Mahavir, pressurisation systems and fresh air ducts-critical for smoke control-had been dismantled. Ambedkar Nagar Hospital, DFS noted, has been operating without a fire safety clearance for several years. At AIIMS, issues ranged from locked escape routes and blocked corridors to faulty smoke exhausts and missing sprinkler systems. Detailed reports were sent to hospital administrations, followed by notices, which were accessed by HT, stating that clearances would not be renewed until all deficiencies were rectified. At Lok Nayak Hospital-one of Delhi's busiest government hospitals serving nearly 10,000 patients daily-DFS conducted inspections on March 25 and 26. A notice dated April 15 flagged serious lapses: fire tender access roads were blocked or too narrow, one emergency staircase was obstructed with waste, exit signage was inadequate, and several hydrant boxes were flagged as incomplete. In the casualty block, fire systems were disconnected due to renovation work. Other issues included non-functional smoke management in the medical records basement, hazardous electrical wiring, and blocked fire tender paths due to parked vehicles and encroachments in the orthopaedic wing. Further, critical safety systems like the fire alarm, manual call points, public address systems, and diesel backup engines were all found to be non-operational. "In view of the above shortcomings, the renewal of Fire Safety Certificate cannot be considered till compliance of above said shortcomings," the DFS notice stated. Calls and messages sent by HT to the hospital's medical superintendent, seeking comments elicited no response. At Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital in Pitampura, which serves around 3,000 patients daily, a May 13 notice flagged the removal of pressurisation systems for lift lobbies and dismantling of fresh air ducts-essential for containing smoke during a fire. "The occupancy of the building/premises in absence of requisites fire safety arrangements shall be at the risk and liabilities of the owner/occupier. The licensing issuing authority/statutory authority requested that premises should not be allowed to run till it provided all necessary fire arrangements," the notice stated. Dr Manoj Kumar, medical superintendent of Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital, acknowledged the DFS findings, and said the hospital is working on addressing all concerns. "Getting the fire safety certificate is our top priority at the moment. We have worked on the drawbacks mentioned in the DFS notice. On Wednesday, we submitted a fresh application and are confident that we will secure the certificate in the coming weeks."...