Best efforts being made to save lives: Naveen

BHUBANESWAR: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday and said the best efforts are being made to save the lives of passengers injured in the Balasore train tragedy that left 275 people dead. Naveen said, “Every life is precious”.
On Saturday, Modi and Naveen visited the accident site near Bahanaga Bazar railway station and interacted with the injured passengers admitted to the district headquarters hospital, Balasore.
“We follow a policy that underlines every life is precious. Starting from the rescue operation to carrying injured to hospitals, making arrangements for treatment, we are leaving no stone unturned to save lives. All possible steps have been taken to save the lives of injured passengers in different hospitals of Odisha. The doctors, medical students are doing their best to save lives. Doctors, students and common people are coming forward to donate blood for the injured,” said a statement from the chief minister’s office (CMO) on the telephonic conversation between the chief minister and prime minister.
The information and public relations department said altogether 1199 injured passengers were admitted to different government and private hospitals in the state. While 939 patients have been discharged, 260 are still under treatment. Government said the condition of one of the patients is critical while the others are stable.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the chief minister and state government for the prompt action during the crisis. “The Centre is ready to provide any kind of assistance if required,” he said. He also praised the people of Odisha for the kind of support and timely help in this hour of crisis,” the CMO’s statement read.
Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who reached Odisha on Sunday to oversee the treatment of injured passengers, said more than 1,000 people were injured in this terrible accident and their treatment is underway. “Over 100 patients need critical care and for their treatment, expert doctors from AIIMS, Delhi, Lady Hardinge Hospital and RML Hospital along with modern equipment and medicines have reached here. We had a detailed discussion and a working plan has been prepared,” Mandaviya said.