Punjab tells health dept to be ready for emergency

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 29

Following an emergency meeting of senior health officials, all civil surgeons in the border districts have been directed by the government to make necessary arrangements to deal with any kind of emergency situation. The health department will set up camps and rope in the staff from the rural development department.

Besides, the district health officials have been asked to keep ready the emergency wards with medicines, stretchers and ambulances. Principal Secretary, Health, Vini Mahajan, confirmed the development. She said all civil surgeons in border districts have been asked to set up health camps, so that any breakout of disease could be stopped.

She said though they had not asked any civil surgeon to vacate the emergency wards of civil hospitals. “If locally there is some requirement or emergency, they are free to take the call,” said Mahajan.

The civil surgeons received the instructions in the afternoon and they have been asked to establish medical camps in border areas where there is no health department infrastructure like dispensary or primary health centres.

Dr Jai Singh, Civil Surgeon, Ferozepur, said they would rope in doctors from the rural development department to run the camps. He said they had sent an inventory of available medicines to the government.

He said they would depute the doctors for emergency duties from nearby stations.