Doctors’ duty rosters, availability of medicines and

life-saving equipment to be closely monitored

Lucknow, Nov 06 (HS): Under the leadership of Chief Minister

Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh Government is taking special precautions to

ensure public safety and uninterrupted healthcare services during festivals. In

view of the possibility of accidents, fire incidents, road mishaps and other

emergencies during Diwali and Chhath Puja, the Medical Education Department has

directed all government and autonomous medical colleges and their affiliated

hospitals across the state to remain on high alert.

The government's priority is to ensure that no citizen has

to struggle to access emergency medical care during the festive season and that

prompt treatment is available whenever required. Director General of Medical

Education and Training Neha Sharma has issued detailed guidelines in this

regard. All medical colleges have been directed to ensure the availability of

medical services, manpower, medicines, medical equipment and emergency

facilities so that patients receive timely treatment in any unforeseen

situation.

All life-saving medical services, including emergency

departments, trauma centres, ICUs, burn units, anaesthesia, surgery and

operation theatres, will remain operational round the clock at all medical

colleges and affiliated hospitals. Patients arriving at emergency departments

will undergo immediate medical assessment and receive first aid as required.

Instructions have also been issued to prioritise treatment based on the

severity of patients' conditions and ensure the availability of additional beds

and medical resources.

Duty rosters will be prepared for doctors, nursing staff,

technicians and other personnel from emergency, trauma centre, ICU, burn unit,

anaesthesia, surgery, orthopaedics, medicine and radiology departments for the

festive period. The attendance of all personnel deployed on duty will be

ensured, while additional manpower will also be kept available to meet any

eventuality.

All concerned heads of departments and chief medical

superintendents have been directed to ensure adequate stocks of essential and

life-saving medicines, injections, dressing materials, sutures, plaster

materials and emergency treatment kits. The availability and functioning of

essential equipment, including oxygen cylinders, oxygen supply systems,

ventilators, monitors, defibrillators and suction machines, will also be

inspected. Coordination with blood banks will be ensured to maintain adequate

stocks of blood and blood components.

In cases where critically ill patients need to be shifted to

higher medical institutions, an effective referral system will be ensured

through prior coordination. Instructions have been issued to provide the

necessary medical assistance and ambulance services during transfers and ensure

that the process is not delayed unnecessarily.

Fire safety arrangements will be inspected in emergency

departments, ICUs, operation theatres, oxygen plants, electrical panels,

laboratories, hostels and other sensitive areas of medical colleges. The

functioning of fire alarms, firefighting equipment and other safety systems

will be ensured. Hospitals have also been directed to keep ally exit routes and

staircases free of obstructions.

Every medical college and affiliated hospital has been

directed to review and update its disaster management plan. A clear action plan

will be prepared to handle situations involving a large number of injured

persons arriving simultaneously, including road accidents, fire incidents and

stampedes. A triage system will be implemented to prioritise treatment

according to the severity of injuries, ensuring immediate medical attention for

critically injured patients.

Hospitals have been directed to ensure proper sanitation,

infection control, drinking water, electricity supply, backup power, oxygen

supply and cleanliness of toilets. Special monitoring will be maintained in

burn units, ICUs, operation theatres and other sensitive areas. Regular

inspections of oxygen plants and pipeline systems will also be conducted.

The Director General has instructed the principals,

directors and chief medical superintendents of all medical colleges to

personally review the arrangements. A senior officer will be designated as the

nodal officer, wherever required, to monitor duty rosters, availability of

resources and emergency preparedness. Any laxity or negligence in implementing

the directives will invite accountability of the officials and staff concerned.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi