Latest news with #RituSaxena
Hindustan Times
10-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Delhi hospitals told to paint ‘red cross' on rooftops
The Delhi government on Friday directed its hospitals to implement emergency preparedness measures, including prominently marking their rooftops with the Red Cross symbol, increasing their medicine stocks, ensuring backup power systems are operational, and clearing basements to serve as makeshift shelters amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. The directions were issued by the Delhi health department in an official order on Friday, accessed by HT, instructing all 38 Delhi government-run hospitals to urgently carry out a set of precautionary actions. Among the most visible of these measures is the requirement to paint the roofs of all hospitals with the Red Cross emblem, a move aimed at protecting healthcare facilities during potential aerial attacks by identifying them as protected sites under international humanitarian law. Hospitals have been also asked to give updates the progress of the painting work, the officials cited above said. Out of Delhi's 38 government hospitals, around 25—including Lok Nayak, Deen Dayal Upadhyay, GTB, and Indira Gandhi Hospital—confirmed by Friday evening that they had begun painting their rooftops, while some informed authorities that they had requested the Public Works Department (PWD) to undertake the task. The department also asked hospitals to submit updated inventories of essential medicines, verify the functionality of their generators (GENSETS), and finalise a Hospital Disaster Management Plan. Each hospital has been directed to conduct a mock drill by Saturday, March 10, to test readiness. Some, like Lok Nayak and GTB, began staff briefings on Friday in preparation. 'Lok Nayak is conducting mock drill training for our hospital along with GB Pant and Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC),' said Dr Ritu Saxena, chief medical officer at Lok Nayak and disaster management expert. All hospitals have been issued detailed Hospital Safety & Disaster Preparedness guidelines authored by Dr Saxena. These guidelines advise citizens to familiarise themselves with air raid sirens—long wails indicate an alert, while short bursts mean all-clear—and identify shelter areas such as basements and underground car parks. During drills or actual alerts, all outdoor activity must stop immediately, and people should calmly move to designated shelters. Hospitals have been specifically asked to adopt a 'Contingency Planning' strategy to utilise cleared-out basements for shelter and evacuation purposes. 'Hospitals must be clearly marked with the Red Cross, Red Crescent, or Red Crystal symbols to benefit from the protection provided under international humanitarian law,' the guidelines note. Additionally, the government on Thursday asked hospitals to ensure fire safety measures, including ensuring the availability of fire extinguishers, without exception. Hospitals are required to report on the adequacy of their existing manpower – especially in emergency care roles such as surgeons, anaesthetists, orthopaedicians, and burn specialists. Data has also been sought on ICU bed availability, operational ventilators, and oxygen supplies. Nodal officers responsible for trauma and emergency response must also be identified with their contact information. To ensure full mobilisation, the Delhi government on Thursday cancelled all leave for doctors in government hospitals. The order was reiterated on Friday with fresh instructions from hospital authorities directing all doctors currently on leave to return to duty. 'I had applied for leave and was on my way to catch the train at 11.30pm on Friday night to go to my hometown in Bikaner. However, soon after I was told on Friday night to cancel my leave, I got my tickets canceled. A fresh order was issued by the hospital informing us that leaves for all doctors have been canceled till further orders,' said Inayat Ali, nursing officer from Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital. Medical superintendents and directors have been told to submit compliance reports on an urgent basis.
Express Tribune
17-02-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
18 die in stampede at Delhi railway station
NEW DELHI: At least 18 people were killed during a stampede at a railway station in India's capital late on Saturday night, when surging crowds scrambled to catch trains to the Hindu religious gathering of Kumbh Mela, officials and reports said on Sunday. The Kumbh Mela attracts tens of millions of Hindus every 12 years to the northern city of Prayagraj, and has a history of crowd-related disastersincluding one last month, when at least 30 people died in another stampede at the holy confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers. The rush at the train station in New Delhi appeared to break out on Saturday as crowds struggled to board trains for the event, which will end on February 26. "I can confirm 15 deaths at the hospital," Dr Ritu Saxena, Deputy Medical Superintendent of the Lok Nayak Hospital in New Delhi told AFP. "They don't have any open injury. Most [likely died from] hypoxia or maybe some blunt injury but that would only be confirmed after an autopsy," she said. "There are also 11 others who are injured. Most of them are stable and have orthopaedic injuries." Media reports, citing the Press Trust of India news agency, said that the death toll rose to 18, including five children. The youngest of the victims was seven years old and the oldest was 79, according to multiple media outlets. All but four of the 18 people named were female. Atishi, the chief minister of the national capital territory, said on X that many of the victims were pilgrims who were going to attend the Maha Kumbh festival. "This is a very tragic incident and we pray for those who have lost their lives," Atishi said. The stampede occurred at about 8 pm on Saturday on two platforms where passengers were waiting to board trains to Prayagraj city, where the Maha Kumbh is taking place, media reports said. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said a "high-level inquiry" had been ordered into the causes of the accident. Undeterred by the accident crowds of people continued to throng the railway station on Sunday with more police and railway protection forces deployed to control the flow of passengers. Vaishnaw said additional special trains were being run from New Delhi to clear the rush. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "distressed" by the stampede, while the opposition parties, criticised the travel arrangements for the mega-festival and blamed the government for attempting a cover-up, after it had denied for hours that a stampede had occurred. "They are worried about their image at the cost of the faith of crores of people who are visiting Maha Kumbh... There is no arrangement," opposition Congress party leader Pawan Khera told ANI news agency. The six-week Kumbh Mela is the single biggest milestone on the Hindu religious calendar, and officials said around 500 million people have already visited the festival since it began last month.
Jordan Times
16-02-2025
- Health
- Jordan Times
18 dead in India stampede to catch trains to Hindu mega-festival
NEW DELHI — At least 18 people died during a stampede at a railway station in India's capital late Saturday when surging crowds scrambled to catch trains to the world's largest religious gathering, officials and reports said. The Kumbh Mela attracts tens of millions of Hindu faithful every 12 years to the northern city of Prayagraj, and has a history of crowd-related disasters, including one last month, when at least 30 people died in another stampede at the holy confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rush at the train station in New Delhi appeared to break out Saturday as crowds struggled to board trains for the ongoing event, which will end on February 26."I can confirm 15 deaths at the hospital. They don't have any open injury. Most (likely died from) hypoxia or maybe some blunt injury but that would only be confirmed after an autopsy," Dr Ritu Saxena, deputy medical superintendent of Lok Nayak Hospital in New Delhi told AFP."There are also 11 others who are injured. Most of them are stable and have orthopaedic injuries," she NDTV reported three more dead from the stampede quoting an official of another hospital in the dead were mostly women and children."I have been working as a coolie since 1981, but I never saw a crowd like this before," the Times of India newspaper quoted a porter at the railway station as saying."People started colliding and fell on the escalator and stairs" when platform for a special train departing for Prayagraj was suddenly shifted, the porter minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said a "high-level inquiry" had been ordered into the causes of the accident. 'Doing our best'Vaishnaw said additional special trains were being run from New Delhi to clear the rush of by the accident crowds of devotees continued to throng the railway station on Sunday with more police and railway protection forces deployed to control the flow of passengers."We are operating an unprecedented and record number of special trains for the ease of passengers," railways official Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay told reporters. "We are doing our best."Opposition parties, however, criticised travel arrangements for the mega-festival and blamed the government for attempting a coverup, after they denied for hours that a stampede had occurred."They are worried about their image at the cost of the faith of crores of people who are visiting Maha Kumbh... There is no arrangement," opposition Congress party leader Pawan Khera told ANI news Minister Narendra Modi said he was "distressed" by the stampede."My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured have a speedy recovery," Modi wrote on governor of the capital territory Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena said disaster management personnel had been told to deploy and "all hospitals are in readiness to address related exigencies."The six-week Kumbh Mela is the single biggest milestone on the Hindu religious calendar, and officials said around 500 million devotees have already visited the festival since it began last than 400 people died after they were trampled or drowned on a single day of the festival in 1954, one of the largest tolls in a crowd-related disaster globally. Another 36 people were crushed to death in 2013, the last time the full festival was staged in Prayagraj. Page 2
Iraqi News
16-02-2025
- Health
- Iraqi News
18 dead in India stampede to catch trains to Hindu mega-festival
New Delhi – At least 18 people died during a stampede at a railway station in India's capital late Saturday when surging crowds scrambled to catch trains to the world's largest religious gathering, officials and reports said. The Kumbh Mela attracts tens of millions of Hindu faithful every 12 years to the northern city of Prayagraj, and has a history of crowd-related disasters — including one last month, when at least 30 people died in another stampede at the holy confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers. The rush at the train station in New Delhi appeared to break out Saturday as crowds struggled to board trains for the ongoing event, which will end on February 26. 'I can confirm 15 deaths at the hospital. They don't have any open injury. Most (likely died from) hypoxia or maybe some blunt injury but that would only be confirmed after an autopsy,' Dr Ritu Saxena, deputy medical superintendent of Lok Nayak Hospital in New Delhi told AFP. 'There are also 11 others who are injured. Most of them are stable and have orthopaedic injuries,' she said. Broadcaster NDTV reported three more dead from the stampede quoting an official of another hospital in the city. Those dead were mostly women and children. 'I have been working as a coolie since 1981, but I never saw a crowd like this before,' the Times of India newspaper quoted a porter at the railway station as saying. 'People started colliding and fell on the escalator and stairs' when platform for a special train departing for Prayagraj was suddenly shifted, the porter said. Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said a 'high-level inquiry' had been ordered into the causes of the accident. Vaishnaw said additional special trains were being run from New Delhi to clear the rush of devotees. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was 'distressed' by the stampede. 'My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured have a speedy recovery,' he wrote on X. The governor of the capital territory Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena said disaster management personnel had been told to deploy and 'all hospitals are in readiness to address related exigencies.' The six-week Kumbh Mela is the single biggest milestone on the Hindu religious calendar, and officials said around 500 million devotees have already visited the festival since it began last month. More than 400 people died after they were trampled or drowned on a single day of the festival in 1954, one of the largest tolls in a crowd-related disaster globally. Another 36 people were crushed to death in 2013, the last time the festival was staged in Prayagraj.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
18 dead in India stampede to catch trains to Hindu mega-festival
At least 18 people died during a stampede at a railway station in India's capital late Saturday when surging crowds scrambled to catch trains to the world's largest religious gathering, officials and reports said. The Kumbh Mela attracts tens of millions of Hindu faithful every 12 years to the northern city of Prayagraj, and has a history of crowd-related disasters -- including one last month, when at least 30 people died in another stampede at the holy confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers. The rush at the train station in New Delhi appeared to break out Saturday as crowds struggled to board trains for the ongoing event, which will end on February 26. "I can confirm 15 deaths at the hospital. They don't have any open injury. Most (likely died from) hypoxia or maybe some blunt injury but that would only be confirmed after an autopsy," Dr Ritu Saxena, deputy medical superintendent of Lok Nayak Hospital in New Delhi told AFP. "There are also 11 others who are injured. Most of them are stable and have orthopaedic injuries," she said. Broadcaster NDTV reported three more dead from the stampede quoting an official of another hospital in the city. Those dead were mostly women and children. "I have been working as a coolie since 1981, but I never saw a crowd like this before," the Times of India newspaper quoted a porter at the railway station as saying. "People started colliding and fell on the escalator and stairs" when platform for a special train departing for Prayagraj was suddenly shifted, the porter said. Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said a "high-level inquiry" had been ordered into the causes of the accident. - 'Doing our best' - Vaishnaw said additional special trains were being run from New Delhi to clear the rush of devotees. Undeterred by the accident crowds of devotees continued to throng the railway station on Sunday with more police and railway protection forces deployed to control the flow of passengers. "We are operating an unprecedented and record number of special trains for the ease of passengers," railways official Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay told reporters. "We are doing our best." Opposition parties, however, criticised travel arrangements for the mega-festival and blamed the government for attempting a coverup, after they denied for hours that a stampede had occurred. "They are worried about their image at the cost of the faith of crores of people who are visiting Maha Kumbh... There is no arrangement," opposition Congress party leader Pawan Khera told ANI news agency. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "distressed" by the stampede. "My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured have a speedy recovery," Modi wrote on X. The governor of the capital territory Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena said disaster management personnel had been told to deploy and "all hospitals are in readiness to address related exigencies." The six-week Kumbh Mela is the single biggest milestone on the Hindu religious calendar, and officials said around 500 million devotees have already visited the festival since it began last month. More than 400 people died after they were trampled or drowned on a single day of the festival in 1954, one of the largest tolls in a crowd-related disaster globally. Another 36 people were crushed to death in 2013, the last time the full festival was staged in Prayagraj. bb-pzb-st/dhw
