The fire at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Baru yesterday has caught us all by surprise. As the wards emptied their patients and staff members out into the compound, six lives perished at the Intensive Care Unit where the fire is purported to have begun owing to a short circuit problem.

This incident raises a serious question that all thinking Malaysians must demand for answers from the authorities who were given the mandate to manage health care facilities for the benefit of the citizens.

Just how safe are all our public hospitals today, after over six decades of seemingly prosperous and capable rule by the Barisan Nasional government?

The fire incident at the Sultanah Hospital cannot be dismissed as an “unfortunate” or “isolated” incident. Those raising concerns in the public foyer should not admonished with a stern “Do not make a mountain of a molehill”. And so too, let us not fall into the tempting and all too often used excuse that “this is an opposition ploy to politicise”.

We need to examine the incident in the light of what experts often cite as the reasons why a (fire) crisis happens.

First, there is the Murphy’s Law that applies, where, if anything can go wrong it will go wrong. And between two wrongs, the worst wrong will always happen first. That wrong will always happen at the most inconvenient time. And nature sides with the hidden flaw in any system created by humans.

Second, a crisis does not take place suddenly. It happens because some issues have gone on for some time unnoticed.

Third, as the late Professor Sam Black (UK) expounded, in an effort to avert or at the least manage well a crisis, an organization needs to be serious about three key elements. These are: 1. There must be policies in place that are re-visited, endorsed and practiced to the letter.

2. There must be equipment and facilities in place that that are in working condition to be used effectively at the earliest observation of a crisis (fire) outbreak.

3. That people are trained, staff rehearse periodically, and spending for crisis preparedness is seen as an investment and not a cost to the organisation.

Now using all of the above knowledge above, just how safe are our hospitals all over the country?

A hospital is a potentially dangerous place given the mix of gases, chemicals as well as electrical equipment used within each facility. How effective are we in ensuring that maintenance, preparedness and constant review of all these three potent-mixes are carried out diligently?

Evacuating patients is the last resort

A hospital is a place where human mobility is at its lowest. Evacuating patients out of a hospital is the last resort. The top priority is to have an effective crisis curbing capability within the facility. Are our select group of hospital staff members well trained, assessed and paid to be prepared to fight fires for example?

A hospital is a place that must have the highest standards in terms of safety. Just how safe are our multi-story hospitals in the country? What is the budget allocated for improvement as well as the routine maintenance of equipment, facilities and training of staff members?

If any authorities fall into the past habits of dismissing this Sultanah Aminah Hospital fire breakout as an “isolated incident” or worse, as “God’s will”, then it simply means we are dead broke and care not a jot for future crises.

On the contrary, we need to set up a high-powered, independent consulting body that will ensure all hospitals are audited, calibrated and equipped to avert crises or at best be knowledgeable, skilled and capable of curbing similar crises before it gets dangerous and takes lives.

Knowing full well that the prevalent ‘tidak apa’ attitude and lack of a ‘maintenance culture’ among Malaysians, the government must work extra harder to ensure that the Health Ministry is expeditiously enabled to provide better standards of public safety at hospitals.

Failing which, we do not have much to celebrate with all the rising towering towers of glass and mortar that is supposed to make Malaysia a vibrant, modern nation.