A sealed hotel in the Hauz Rani area of Malviya Nagar.
| Photo Credit: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA
The sealing of illegal bed-and-breakfast (B&B) facilities across Delhi following the June 3 Hauz Rani fire that claimed 23 lives has left many patients and their families struggling to find affordable accommodation near major private hospitals in the national capital.While there has been support for stricter enforcement following the fire, many feel the incident has also highlighted a shortage of safe and affordable lodging options near hospitals for those who come to Delhi for months-long treatment.Long road to recovery“We had already booked a room in a B&B in Hauz Rani. The fire happened on the day we reached. We had to look elsewhere immediately,” said Thomas Berhana, 41, who arrived from Ethiopia on a medical visa with a family member for treatment at a south Delhi private hospital. The family eventually found a hotel in Jangpura.“We are paying almost double now. The distance is also greater, which makes things difficult because we have hospital visits every day. Our budget is much tighter now,” Mr. Berhana said.According to government data, 705 properties in 13 revenue districts of Delhi have been inspected since June 5. Most of those examined were found to be violating fire safety norms, lacked mandatory no-objection certificates from the fire department, or were operating more rooms than permitted under their licences.As of June 12, authorities had carried out 212 sealing and demolition actions against 198 illegal properties following the fire incident.
