AIIMS Bhubaneswar, in collaboration with the Disaster Management Cell of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India, successfully organised a six-day Capacity Building Training on Hospital Preparedness for Health Emergencies.
This program aimed to equip hospitals to respond effectively during disasters while ensuring the continuity of healthcare services.
Senior healthcare professionals from Odisha, Meghalaya, West Bengal, and Assam participated in the training. The participants included consultants, district medical officers, medical superintendents, senior medical officers, hospital administrators, and managers.
Highlighting the significance of this initiative, Prof. Dr. Ashutosh Biswas, Director of AIIMS Bhubaneswar, stated, “Hospitals are the lifeline during disasters. Strengthening their preparedness and continuity plans ensures that critical care reaches people when it is needed most. This program is a step towards building disaster-resilient healthcare systems in the country.”
The inauguration ceremony was attended by notable figures, including Director and CEO Dr. Ashutosh Biswas, Medical Superintendent Dr. Dilip Kumar Parida, DDA Lt. Col. Abhijit Sarkar, and Nodal Officer Dr. Jayanta Kumar Mitra.
The training covered a comprehensive range of topics, including hospital disaster management principles, emergency incident response systems, the Disaster Management Act, triaging, logistics, communication, fire safety, mock drills, psychosocial care, hospital evacuation, continuity of services, and returning to normalcy. Participants also participated in a field visit to the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) Base in Bhubaneswar for practical exposure.
The resource persons for the program were faculty members from AIIMS Bhubaneswar, all trained in national capacity-building programs for health emergencies. This initiative marks the first implementation of this training at AIIMS Bhubaneswar and represents the fourth training program under the national initiative to enhance hospital disaster preparedness across India.
