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Fire Safety of COVID-Designated Health Facilities

This initiative has significantly improved hospital fire preparedness across the region. Hospitals that used the checklists have identified and addressed critical safety gaps, reduced fire risks, and strengthened their emergency response systems. By combining practical tools, capacity building, and digital innovation, GHI’s work is helping create safer, more resilient healthcare systems—ready to protect lives when it matters the most.

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Strengthening Health Sector Safety through Customized Assessments


Hospitals are vital to community resilience, especially during disasters when health services are most needed. The World Health Organization (WHO) developed the Global Hospital Safety Index (HSI), a checklist-based tool designed to assess structural and non-structural safety and emergency preparedness in hospitals. GHI has worked extensively to adapt this global tool for local contexts. After successfully customizing the HSI for Nepal in 2018–19, we undertook a similar initiative in Myanmar. The Myanmar adaptation introduced seismic hazard categories aligned with the Myanmar National Building Code 2016, addressed the unique challenge of facilities with multiple buildings, separated facility-wide and building-specific data, and revised scoring to suit local typologies.


Responding to Emerging Risks: Fire Safety During COVID-19


The COVID-19 pandemic brought an unexpected challenge. Hospitals expanded treatment spaces rapidly, often compromising fire safety. A series of tragic hospital fires around the world underscored the absence of a robust fire safety framework in existing hospital safety assessments, including the Global HSI. Recognizing this urgent need, WHO-SEARO developed a project to develop a comprehensive fire safety assessment framework for hospitals, for which GHI was selected to execute. 


This project produced three specialized checklists:

  1. A preventive checklist for hospital administrators to minimize fire risks.

  2. A technical checklist modelled on the HSI framework for detailed fire safety assessments in permanent hospitals—addressing a critical gap in the existing Global HSI.

  3. A checklist for makeshift or temporary facilities, such as field hospitals, ensuring fire safety in emergency setups.

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Building Capacity Through Training and Simulations


Beyond tool development, GHI led an extensive capacity-building initiative across the WHO SEARO region. We conducted online training sessions for healthcare professionals from Nepal, the Maldives, and other countries, encouraging them to apply the checklists effectively (Webinars on significance and complexities of ‘Fire Safety in Hospitals'). To strengthen sustainability, we conducted in-person training for local resource persons in Nepal and the Maldives to help them lead internal assessments. This included handholding support during on-site fire safety assessments in selected hospitals in both countries, helping identify vulnerabilities and prioritize improvements.


Testing Preparedness Through Scenario-Based Exercises


To ensure practical readiness, GHI designed realistic fire scenarios and conducted tabletop simulation exercises at Patan Hospital in Nepal and Hulhumale Hospital in the Maldives. These exercises tested decision-making, coordination, and emergency response protocols under simulated fire conditions, reinforcing the importance of proactive planning and teamwork during emergencies.


Digital Innovation for Global Reach


As part of this initiative, GHI also upgraded the Hospital Safety App (HSI+), originally developed by GeoHazards Society. The revised version now integrates fire safety checklists, enabling healthcare facilities to assess fire hazards and develop robust disaster preparedness plans through a user-friendly digital platform.


Project Partners

  • South East Asian Regional Office of WHO (SEARO)

  • WHO Nepal

  • WHO Maldives

  • Patan Hospital, Kathmandu

  • Bir Hospital, Kathmandu

  • Kirtipur Hospital, Kathmandu

  • Teku Hospital, Kathmandu,

  • Civil Services Hospital, Kathmandu

  • Paropakar Hospital, Kathmandu

  • Eydhafushi Hospital, Maldives

  • Dharavandhoo Hospital, Maldives

  • Indira Gandhi Hospital, Maldives

  • Hulhumale hospital, Maldives

Project Funding


The project was funded by the SEARO-WHO

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