Children are often associated with history, literature, and even highly sensitive events. Salman Rushdie’s classic Midnight’s Children chronicles the profound tales of little ones who arrived on earth within the first hour of independence. Chances are that children born around the arrival of Cyclone Biparjoy could get some adorable, distinctive names too.
The Gujarat government, as part of a Cyclone Biparjoy disaster management programme, is intensely focussed on protecting children yet to be born. According to an English tabloid, the government identified 1,035 pregnant women in their third trimester scheduled to give birth within a week.
A total of 916 such women from coastal and low-lying areas of eight districts have been moved to safe government health centres. The Gujarat health department has been providing them with constant medical services since June 7. Even the leaves of medical and paramedical staff in the eight districts were cancelled.
Additionally, the government has ensured the presence of adequate medical staff in crucial areas and even filled positions in primary-level healthcare centres, the tabloid added.
At secondary-level healthcare centres, 30 doctors, paediatricians and orthopaedic doctors were deployed. Rapid Response Teams have been set up in Morbi, Dwarka, Jamnagar, and Kutch.
Dr Deepak Tiwari, Medical Superintendent of GGGH Jamnagar was quoted as saying, “We have 5 RRTs on standby and have set up 50 beds for emergency patients coming during the cyclone.”
Dr Nilam Patel, Additional Director of Medical Services and Public Health, said, “Kutch, Dwarka and Morbi are likely to be most affected and so we are concentrating on these districts and making sure that medical services are uninterrupted. Adequate medication stocks have been sent to all health centres and generators are up and running. We have advised all to stock enough diesel to run hospitals on generator power for at least three days.”
Battle ready
- Nineteen medical teams sent to local healthcare centres
- Ten medical teams sent to Kutch, five to Dwarka
- Two teams each sent to Jamnagar and Gir-Somnath districts
- Rapid Response Teams set up in medical colleges and hospitals:
- GK General Hospital (Kutch)
- Rajkot Civil Hospital
- GG General Hospital (Jamnagar)
- GMERS Porbandar MCH
- GMERS Junagadh MCH
- GMERS Morbi MCH
- Senior health department officers deputed in disaster zones
- Two-hundred ambulances deployed across Saurashtra
- Sixty-one government buses acting as ambulances stationed in coastal areas
Read Also: Biparjoy: IMD Red Alert For Saurashtra, Kutch Coasts, 50,000 Evacuated
