Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar visited the EMRI 108 control room on Wednesday to assess the preparedness of the team for the landfall and the aftermath of Cyclone Nivar.
He surveyed the equipment to be carried in the ambulances that would be used for rescue efforts.
The Minister said all preparations had been made to ensure immediate response. Earlier in the day Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan visited Mamallapuram to take stock of the situation and the state of preparedness of the team there, Mr. Vijayabaskar added.
“We have equipped the ambulances with rescue tools to cut down trees or remove obstacles. The team has been trained to tackle these issues. After the cyclone makes landfall, we may have to handle health issues such as snake bites or abrasions. We are prepared for the ‘0-4 days’ of the cyclone,” he said.
According to him, on Wednesday, 1,800 calls had been received by the 108 response centre, and they were routine calls.
The 108 ambulances had been positioned in government hospitals and primary healthcare centres, police and fire stations to avoid a situation of not being able to receive communication from the call centre, the Minister said, adding: “We are coordinating with fire and police departments.”
