Are the medical personnel ready to handle emergencies such as industrial accidents and chemical leakages? How far are they quick in their response, especially in providing first aid to the victims and transporting them to the hospital? How far is a rescue effort effective in transporting the injured to the hospital? What is the level of coordination among the various agencies involved in the rescue effort?
These were tested in a drill of a rescue operation of persons affected by a chemical leakage organised jointly by the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPH) and the 4 Battalion National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Arakkonam at the Collectorate here on Saturday.
At 3.30 p.m., a chlorine cylinder kept in the premises of the Collectorate burst, resulting in leakage of chlorine gas, leading to respiratory problems and unconsciousness of the employees in the vicinity. Immediately, information is passed on to the Control Room in the Collectorate which alerts the NDRF.
Within minutes, the NDRF rescue team reaches the spot and the area is cordoned off. The NDRF team tests the nature of leakage and divides the area into warm zone and hot zone depending on the impact of the leakage on the health of the people in the area. The team then closes the leaked cylinder, puts it in a vertical position, and tightens the cap with a chain tied to a base in order to prevent further leakage. It is then de-contaminated.
The victims are then transported to a place where cardio-pulmonary resuscitation is provided by the doctors, and then put into ambulances.
The members of the 60-strong rescue team and the victims were de-contaminated in before they left the scene of accident after the rescue operation.
Dr. K. Poonkodi, Deputy Director of Health Services, Vellore, Rajan Balu and Vinoj Joseph, Assistant Commandants of NDRF and V.R. Hari Balaji, disaster rescue trainer-cum-consultant coordinated the programme which was witnessed by R. Nanthagopal, Collector of Vellore and K. Manivannan, District Revenue Officer.
The mock drill was part of a two-day Workshop on Strengthening Emergency Response System in Hospitals organised by the DPH on Friday and Saturday.
