BHUBANESWAR: Health Secretary Shalini Pandit visited Puri on Wednesday and reviewed the healthcare infrastructure and facilities ahead of the 13-day Rath Yatra festival. The festival is scheduled to be celebrated on June 20 this year.
Pandit asked the health officials to remain vigilant and ensure that devotees are not deprived of health services. She further discussed the provisioning of ambulance services, and the deployment of additional doctors, medical teams, para-medical staff and food safety inspection teams besides keeping the casualty and emergency medical units in full readiness.
The state government has meanwhile decided to deploy 240 doctors, nurses, and pharmacists and set up 27 first aid centres at several places in and around Puri town during the Chariot festival.
Around 132 emergency beds and 82 beds for heat stroke patients will additionally be provided to the district hospital and other nearby hospitals. While 25 oxygen beds, operation theatre and ICU beds have been readied in the district headquarters hospital (DHH), 30 ambulances will be put into service at various strategic locations.
The hospitals of the district have been asked to keep adequate quantities of medicines available and re-check the operational readiness of all medical equipment. Pandit asked the director of health services Dr Bijay Mahapatra to ensure that there is no shortage of doctors and paramedics in the district during Rath Yatra.
The Health secretary also visited Shri Jagannath Medical College and Hospital and interacted with patients. Senior health officials were present.