AIIMS Bhubaneswar, in collaboration with the disaster management cell, ministry of health & family welfare (MoHFW), successfully conducted a six-day capacity building training on hospital preparedness for health emergencies.

The programme aimed to strengthen hospital readiness during disasters while ensuring uninterrupted healthcare delivery.

Senior healthcare professionals from Odisha, Meghalaya, West Bengal and Assam took part. Participants included consultants, district medical officers, medical superintendents, senior medical officers, hospital administrators and managers.

Emphasising the significance of the initiative, AIIMS Bhubaneswar director Professor Dr Ashutosh Biswas said: “Hospitals are the lifeline during disasters. Strengthening preparedness and continuity plans ensures critical care reaches people when needed the most. This programme was a step towards building disaster-resilient healthcare systems in the country.”

The training featured comprehensive modules on disaster management principles, hospital emergency incident response systems, the Disaster Management Act, triaging, logistics, communication, fire safety, mock drills, psychosocial care, evacuation, continuity of services and return to normalcy. A field visit to the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) base in Bhubaneswar offered participants hands-on exposure.

The resource persons were AIIMS Bhubaneswar faculty members trained in national capacity-building programmes for health emergencies. This marked the institute’s first implementation of the programme and the fourth such training held under the national initiative to enhance disaster preparedness in hospitals across India.