Bhubaneswar: Only 17 of the 241 govt healthcare institutions in Odisha that are required to obtain fire safety certificates are currently compliant, exposing serious gaps in fire preparedness across the state’s public health infrastructure.Govt data placed in the assembly on Monday, which reveals fire safety compliance by only 7% of the hospitals, said Odisha has 747 govt-run healthcare institutions, including medical colleges and hospitals, district headquarters hospitals, sub-divisional hospitals, community health centres and primary health centres. Of these, 241 fall under the category of occupancies and premises that are legally mandated to secure fire safety certificates under the Odisha Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Rules, 2017.“Out of 241 hospitals, 17 have valid fire safety certificates. The remaining institutions have been advised to obtain the certificates in accordance with the prescribed rules,” chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi said in a written reply to a question by MLA Subasini Jena in the assembly.The disclosure has raised concerns in the aftermath of the fire that broke out in the trauma care ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, on March 16, resulting in the deaths of 12 patients.Under the fire safety rules, hospitals, nursing homes and clinics with a height of 12 metres or more, three or more floors, more than 30 beds, or facilities housing ICUs and critical care units are required to obtain valid fire safety certificates.Officials of Odisha fire and emergency services (OFES) said govt and private healthcare institutions have been repeatedly urged to comply with fire safety norms and strengthen emergency preparedness.Following the SCB hospital fire, the state govt directed all public and private healthcare facilities to keep fire detection and alarm systems operational round the clock. Hospitals were also instructed to carry out regular inspection and maintenance of fire-fighting equipment to ensure readiness during emergencies.Official sources said OFES issued “fire safety recommendations” to 2,215 govt and private healthcare institutions across Odisha over the past year after conducting a comprehensive audit.“While some hospitals have initiated compliance measures, challenges remain. Retrofitting older buildings is a major hurdle. Since hospitals function continuously, carrying out fire safety installations without disrupting patient care is difficult, and temporarily suspending services is often not feasible,” an OFES official said.