Exercise tests health emergency response protocols

Bhopal: A comprehensive mock exercise simulating chemical industrial disasters was conducted on Thursday at the Central Power Research Institute. The exercise was jointly coordinated by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), and District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), aimed at evaluating emergency preparedness and raising public awareness.
The exercise, implemented across 10 districts including Bhopal, featured the health department Bhopal demonstrating critical life-saving procedures. The demonstrations encompassed emergency response protocols, safety measures, first aid administration, referral procedures, and CPR techniques specifically for chemical and gas leak incidents.
The event included participation from the Health Department's medical team and paramedical staff with 108 ambulance services, who showcased rapid first aid delivery and referral processes within specified timeframes. The exercise focused on enhancing response strategies and fostering coordination amongst disaster management entities. The scenarios were carefully structured to replicate actual emergency situations, enabling assessment of preparedness under pressure.
Chief Medical and Health Officer Bhopal, Dr Prabhakar Tiwari, emphasised the importance of swift medical intervention during ammonia and toxic gas leaks. The Health Department teams demonstrated their capability to deliver medical services with minimal response times during this collaborative exercise.
Dr Tiwari said that timely treatment is necessary in the leakage of ammonia and other poisonous gases. In the joint exercise, the teams of the Health Department demonstrated the practice of delivery of medical services in minimum response time.