Mock drills in July to gauge medical response

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has decided to train PCR van personnel, most often the first to respond to any emergency, to assist victims and save lives.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has decided to train PCR van personnel, most often the first to respond to any emergency, to assist victims and save lives.

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The DDMA, which conducted mock drills in February, will organise similar exercises in July to check, for the first time, the readiness of the medical staff to emergencies. DDMA officials met on Monday to chalk out the plan for the drills, sources said.

“We will now concentrate on key areas to ensure they can be strengthened individually. The mock drills in July will not only check the response time of ambulances but will also focus on how prepared the government and private hospitals are to tackle such situations,” said a Delhi government official.The mock drills will be conducted jointly by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the DDMA.

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During emergencies, family members of victims often are unable to get information from hospitals about patients, DDMA officials observed. The public information system, they said, would be strengthened in the hospitals so that information could be available readily to the family members.

Mock drills were conducted in February by both authorities to gauge the response of various government agencies. Following this, an audit was conducted by observers from the Indian Army that had pointed out that PCR in the city were the first to reach the spots, followed by fire and medical teams.

“When people see fire engines, they mostly give way. But they don’t make such an effort for ambulances that get stuck in traffic. People need to be made more aware,” added one of the officials.