Times of India
12 August 2010
By Sarang Dastane
Pune, India

The district administration will soon implement a plan to provide emergency medical aid to victims of disasters and accidents in 20 minutes. Nineteen hospitals in Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and surrounding areas have been identified under disaster management plan.

District collector Chandrakant Dalvi said, "The plan will help send medical relief teams to the spot from the nearest hospital within 20 minutes. At present, there is no such system in place. Therefore, in case of calamities, most patients are sent all the way to the Sassoon hospital. In the process, precious time needed to save life, called ‘golden hour’, is lost."

As per the plan, the PMC, the PCMC and surrounding areas have been divided into multiple zones. Each major hospital in the respective area has been given the charge of addressing such incidents in that area. Each identified hospital is expected to appoint a co–ordinating officer and set up a separate helpline under the plan. ON receiving the communication, the hospital will send a medical relief team to the spot within 20 minutes.

The team will conduct primary triage at the site, classifications and transport the patients to the near hospital as per need. The transport will be organised of other patients to hospitals as well. Secondary triage will be done and subsequently the patients will be send to other hospitals like Sassoon. As per the plan, the aim is to clear the site within 2 hours of the incident.

Hospitals will be given alert about the incident through the police or district disaster management cell situated at the district collectorate. Dalvi said, "Each hospital has been asked to appoint a team of 20 people including a doctor, and para medical staff. The plan will stand for all types of disasters including accident, fire, or a natural calamity."

Dalvi said a meeting of hospital officials was conducted recently with regard to the design and implementation of the plan. The model is proposed after consultation with all major identified hospitals. The managements of these hospitals have agreed to provide required infrastructure.

Select Hospitals
Sangamwadi and Lohegaon – Kataria hospital Yerawada – Jehangir hospital Dhole Patil road – Ruby Hall clinic Pune Cantonment – Inlacks and Budhrani hospital Hadapsar– Noble hospital Bibwewadi – Bhagli hospital Sahakarnagar– Unity hospital Bhavani Peth – KEM hospital Tilak road – Pune hospital Dhankawadi – Bharati hospital Kasba peth – Kamla Nehru hospital Ghole road – Deendayal hospital Karve road – Sahyadri hospital Aundh– Mdi point Warje, Karvenagar – Deenanath M. hospital Chinchwad– Niramay hospital Pimpri– D Y Patil hospital Thergaon – Aditya Birla hospital Nigdi Pradhikaran – Lokmanya hospital