A resilient hospital sits at the intersection of the healthcare system, disaster management and critical infrastructure: Member, NDMA, GoI
September 23, 2026
Experts call for risk-based planning, regular rehearsal of hospital disaster plans and stronger coordination among healthcare institutions, government, industry to build resilient hospital safety eco-system
NEW DELHI, 23 September 2026: FICCI, under the technical guidance of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, today organised conference on ‘Smart Hospitals, Safe Hospitals – Transforming Fire Safety and Emergency Preparedness in Healthcare’, bringing together policymakers, disaster management experts, hospitals, healthcare institutions and industry stakeholders to deliberate on strengthening fire safety, emergency preparedness and resilience of healthcare infrastructure.
Prof. (Dr.) Dinesh Kumar Aswal, Member, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Government of India, underlined the interconnected nature of healthcare, disaster management and critical infrastructure in building resilient hospitals. He emphasised that assessing hazard, exposure and vulnerability is essential to defining the risk profile of a hospital. He further stressed that District Collectors should have access to hospital capacity information well before a disaster strikes, while hospital disaster management plans must be regularly rehearsed rather than remaining merely documented.
Underscoring the importance of institutional preparedness, Dr. Pradeep Khasnobis, DDG, DM Cell, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, stressed that both structural and non-structural safety require equal attention. He pointed to the importance of smart detection and alarm systems, regular mock drills and a Disaster Management Plan for every hospital. He also called for hospitals to rehearse not only internal emergency response but also intra- and inter-hospital coordination to ensure effective mobilisation of resources during major emergencies.
Prof. Vinod Sharma, Vice-Chairman, Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority, underlined the critical role of hospitals during disasters and emphasised that hospitals must not only be safe but also remain functional and operational when disasters occur. He called for hospital safety to receive the same level of attention as other critical public infrastructure and underscored the importance of disaster-resilient construction wherever public resources are invested. He also referred to India's efforts in this direction through the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
Mr Ayush Gupta, Co-Chair, FICCI Corporate Security & DRR Committee and Director, GAIL (India) Limited, said that prevention must remain at the core of hospital safety. He noted that hospital safety cannot rest with a single stakeholder or technology and called for greater collaboration among hospitals, technology providers, government authorities and industry. He advocated an integrated approach, as emergencies transcend organisational boundaries and require coordinated action.
Dr. Aniruddha Roy, Member, FICCI Space & Geospatial Applications Committee and Chief Innovation Officer, Genesys International Corporation Ltd, spoke about the relevance of the National Geospatial Policy, 2022, including its focus on 2D and 3D mapping and digital twins. He explained that digital twins can support emergency preparedness by enabling authorities and emergency responders to visualise infrastructure and assess scenarios such as the potential spread of fire based on environmental conditions. Access to accurate building plans by both hospital personnel and fire services can significantly strengthen evacuation and rescue operations.
The deliberations underscored the need to move beyond a compliance-based approach to hospital safety towards a culture of continuous preparedness, testing and resilience. Regular simulation exercises, updated disaster management plans, early warning and detection systems, reliable communication mechanisms, evacuation preparedness and coordinated response protocols were identified as important elements of a resilient healthcare facility.
The conference further stressed the importance of closer institutional coordination between healthcare providers, disaster management authorities, fire and emergency services, technology companies, infrastructure stakeholders and industry. Such an integrated approach can help ensure that hospitals are better prepared to manage emergencies while maintaining continuity of critical healthcare services.