India, April 12 -- More than a week after a fire caused a scare at the civic-run Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, popularly known as Sion Hospital, the fire-fighting equipment was found to be outdated, raising questions about the safety of the thousands of patients who frequent one of Mumbai's largest public hospitals.

On March 31, a Level-I fire broke out at the hospital's OPD building, leading to the evacuation of 300-350 patients. While no injuries were reported, OPD patients and staff were shifted to safer areas within the hospital due to the accumulation of smoke.

However, the fire in the hospital's X-ray department caused by an exploding AC unit, led to public concern. The lack of effective safety equipment was highlight...