291 doctors on Prakash Parv duty

PATNA: The state government has deputed 291 doctors, 190 paramedics and 305 nurses in the city in view of arrival of Sikh devotees from across the country and abroad for 'Shukrana Samaroh', the concluding ceremony of the 350th birth anniversary of 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. Around three lakh devotees are expected to attend the main functions from December 23 to December 25.
"Ten doctors from Saran, Siwan, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur and Darbhanga have been deputed in the state capital. Around 18 doctors and 24 health workers have also been roped in from Vaishali district to provide health assistance to devotees at Kangan ghat tent city," said Khalid Arshad, administrative officer-cum-in-charge of information, education and communication cell of the State Health Society.

The tent cities at Bypass and Kangan ghat would have a six-bedded temporary hospital and a two-bedded ICU each. Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib Gurdwara, Baal Leela Sahib Gurdwara and Guru Ka Bagh Sahib Gurdwara will also have two-bedded hospital each.

Doctors at Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), New Gardiner Road Hospital and Guru Gobind Singh Hospital have been asked to remain prepared to offer medical assistance to the Sikh devotees.

While the PMCH has been asked to reserve 10 dedicated beds in emergency section and four in the ICU for the devotees, the NMCH has been asked to keep 15 beds in emergency and two in the ICU. The Indira Gandhi Institute of Cardiology (IGIC) will reserve one dedicated bed in the cardiac ICU and another bed in the emergency section for the Sikh devotees.

Altogether 53 ambulances, including 44 basic life support ambulances (BLSAs) and nine advanced life support ambulances (ALSAs), will be stationed neat the hospitals. Thirty BSLAs and two ALSAs for cardiac care will also be available in the tent cities near Bypass and Kangan Ghat. Ten mortuary vans will also be provided to the Patna civil surgeon.

"Seven specialists, including two anaesthetists, a paediatrician, an ENT specialist and three doctors of medicine specialisation have been deputed at NMCH. Food inspectors have been asked to test the quality of food being provided to the devotees. Malaria inspectors have also been deputed at the tent cities. Some doctors have also been deputed in the 24X7 control room," said a source.

Four other districts - Aurangabad, Begusarai, Sheikhpura and Munger - will have similar medical facilities for the Sikh devotees.

Regional additional director of health services, Patna division, Dr K K Mishra has been appointed as the nodal officer of 'Shukrana Samaroh' by the state health department. "Patna has been divided into six zones and each zone will get a medical officer to monitor health services being provided to the devotees," Patna civil surgeon Dr Pramod Jha said.