BHUBANESWAR: In its pursuit to meet the critical healthcare need of the survivors of the tragic train accident at Bahanaga in Balasore district on Friday, the Centre has mobilised doctors and critical medical equipment from New Delhi to Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has been assigned the job by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that injured passengers of the two ill-fated trains, Coromandel Express and Bengaluru-Howrah Yesvantpur Superfast Express, undergoing treatment in different hospitals of Odisha are provided with the best of the treatment, and to take stock of the situations in AIIMS, Bhubaneswar and SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack.
"More than 1,000 people are injured in this terrible accident and their treatment is underway. Over 100 patients need critical care and some of them need immediate operations. Expert doctors from AIIMS, Delhi, Lady Hardinge Hospital and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital along with modern equipment and medicines have reached here in a special Airforce plane for their treatment. We had a detailed discussion and a working plan has also been prepared," Mandaviya told media persons after visiting AIIMS hospital here.
"As many critical patients are being admitted to different hospitals of Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, it has been planned to mobilise members of the expert team of doctors to different hospitals as per the requirements to provide special treatment so that the lives of as many patients could be saved", he added.
After visiting AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, the Union Health Miniter went to Capital Hospital and talked to the hospital staff and patients undergoing treatment there. He is scheduled to visit SCB MCH, Cuttack to review the situation there, official sources said.
The Prime Minister during his visit to the accident spot at Bahanaga on Saturday talked to Mandaviya and reportedly asked him to send a team of doctors with critical equipment and medicines for augmenting treatment of patients struggling for survival. During his visit to the state, the PM also assured of providing the best medical care to save the lives of the injured.