NEW DELHI: In an intense simulation mimicking wartime devastation, hospitals across Delhi were plunged into emergency mode on Wednesday as authorities staged large-scale mock drills to evaluate the city’s healthcare preparedness.
From bomb blasts to air strikes and blackouts, each scenario was crafted to stress-test the coordination, speed, and efficiency of medical institutions in handling mass casualty situations.
At 4 pm, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital became the epicentre of a mock bomb explosion, with 15 “victims” suffering from dummy injuries including burns, fractures, internal bleeding, and neurological trauma. These were rushed into the emergency department, triggering a coordinated response from multiple units.
“The objective of the drill was to test the hospital's response system in a high-impact urban explosion scenario and strengthen coordination between various departments,” said an official from the civil defence force.
Departments including General Medicine, Orthopaedics, Neurosurgery, Burns and Plastic Surgery, and Radiology were activated, while ENT, Ophthalmology, Forensic Medicine, and the Blood Bank remained on high alert.
The complete cycle of triage, resuscitation, stabilisation, and diagnostic imaging was set in motion to mirror real-world pressure on critical care systems.
In Shalimar Bagh, Fortis Hospital faced a separate drill involving a mock air strike and building collapse. Emergency services such as the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Police, Fire Brigade, Civil Defence, and CATS ambulance service responded swiftly.
The Delhi Fire Department led rescue efforts as ten “victims” were stabilised on site and transported to Max Hospital via Red Health and CATS ambulances.
A green corridor was facilitated by the Delhi Traffic Police to ensure quick and unhindered transport. “This exercise was a commendable initiative by the government to assess emergency preparedness and enhance coordination among various response teams in the event of a real-life crisis,” said Deepak Narang, Facility Director, Fortis Hospital.
At Lok Nayak Hospital, Chief Casualty Medical Officer Dr Ritu Saxena highlighted the hospital's focus on strengthening triage and surge management systems.
“We simulated real-time crises to test everything, from rapid assessment protocols to surge capacity and coordination with specialty units,” she said.
Colour-coded ribbons were employed to identify injury severity: green for minor injuries, yellow for non-serious, red for critical cases, and black for the deceased.
“These colours helped triage victims during and after air raids, allowing for faster and more efficient allocation of medical resources,” explained A.S. Lamba, a civil defence volunteer.
Meanwhile, Aakash Healthcare in Dwarka activated its ‘Code Brown’ disaster protocol, a system tailored for large-scale casualty events. “In light of the recent rise in security concerns, especially in case of any retaliatory measures by a neighbouring country, we have activated our 'Code Brown' disaster protocol,” said Dr Aashish Chaudhry, Managing Director of the hospital.
Dr Chaudhry also noted that even during blackout simulations, emergency care was uninterrupted. “Curtains were drawn, lights were shut, and signs were covered but emergency care remains fully operational," he added.
The exercise, officials said, was crucial in identifying systemic bottlenecks, enhancing multi-agency coordination, and improving hospitals’ disaster response in potential real-life scenarios.
