War wards, drills, audits, training: How city hospitals are prepping for emergency

Hindustan Times

10-05-2025

Mumbai: As the military conflict between India and Pakistan escalates and spreads beyond the border areas, hospitals across the city are preparing for large-scale health emergencies by adding extra beds, training their staff and stocking critical drugs and medical supplies including blood. Deans of several hospitals are calling for reactivation of COVID-era protocols while state health authorities are holding review meetings and conducting audits to assess emergency preparedness. The state government is also considering the possibility of cancelling summer vacations for senior doctors.
The state-run JJ Hospital has set up two dedicated wards with 52 beds across two floor to handle sudden medical emergencies. The wards are equipped with critical care facilities including oxygen support, rapid triage systems, and emergency medicine stockpiles.
JJ and other government hospitals have also commenced internal drills and training. 'We've instructed departments to stock emergency medicines, oxygen cylinders, and other critical supplies. Staff are being trained to manage sudden influx of patients,' said Dr Shailesh Mohite, dean of Nair Hospital.
Similar preparations are underway at KEM Hospital, said dean Dr Sangeeta Rawat. 'We are also conducting emergency response audits,' she said.
Shortage of blood in the event of a war-like emergency remains a critical concern. To address this, students associated with the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) have launched blood donation drives across city hospitals, starting within their own campuses. In due course, they hope to cover residential societies.
'We're organising a blood donation camp at Nair Hospital this Friday. We've requested the medical staff to contribute, and we urge the general public to join as well,' said Dr Akshay Dongardive, national president of the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and general secretary of MARD's Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) unit. Adequate blood supply could mean the difference between life and death during a medical emergency, he said.
Private hospitals are also stepping up. On Friday, Hinduja Hospital conducted a disaster response training session for over 100 staff members from 15 private hospitals across Mumbai.
'Our focus was on practical, hands-on readiness,' said Joy Chakraborty, chief operating officer, Hinduja Hospital. 'We simulated emergency drills, evacuation protocols and civil defence coordination. The response from participating hospitals was overwhelming.'
Chakraborty said instead of focussing only on infrastructure readiness, they were mentally preparing health workers to deal with a war-like emergency.
'During a crisis, it is human response that matters the most. Ensuring our staff are trained, confident and calm under pressure can save countless lives,' he said.
Despite these efforts, several challenges persist. For instance, power outages and blackouts could compromise blood banks which need uninterrupted refrigeration. So many hospitals are stockpiling diesel to run generators. But generators can run only 4-5 hours at a stretch and refuelling them is logistically difficult. Many deans have also flagged a shortage of ice boxes, which are essential for safe transport of blood and vaccines.
These concerns were discussed during a high level meeting on Friday between chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and health department officials, said a highly placed source in the department. While health officials proposed conducting emergency audits and setting up district-level health committees, deans of government-run hospitals said COVID-era protocols should be reactivated and district war rooms must be set up under collectors to deal with health emergencies, the source added.
Dr Mahendra Kendre, assistant director, State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC), confirmed that the health department has called for a statewide audit to ensure readiness across all government health facilities.
Meanwhile, the central government has proposed cancelling summer vacations for senior doctors to bolster staffing during possible emergencies. The state government is yet to take a call on the matter.
'The state government had issued a similar directive earlier, only to withdraw it. But given the current situation, it may be reintroduced,' said a senior official from the Directorate of Health Services (DHS).