Bhubaneswar, 25/08/2025: AIIMS Bhubaneswar, in collaboration with the Disaster Management Cell, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India, successfully organised a six-day Capacity Building Training on Hospital Preparedness for Health Emergencies. The programme was designed to help hospitals respond effectively during disasters while ensuring uninterrupted healthcare services.
Senior healthcare professionals from Odisha, Meghalaya, West Bengal, and Assam. participated in the training. The participants included Consultants, District Medical Officers, Medical Superintendents, Senior Medical Officers, Hospital Administrators, and Managers.
Highlighting the importance of the initiative, Prof. Dr Ashutosh Biswas, Director, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, said “Hospitals are the lifeline during disasters. Strengthening their preparedness and continuity plans ensures that critical care reaches people when it is needed the most. This programme was a step towards building disaster-resilient healthcare systems in the country.”
The inauguration ceremony was graced by the August presence of the Director and CEO Dr. Ashutosh Biswas, Medical Superintendent Dr. Dilip Kumar Parida, DDA Lt Col Abhijit Sarkar, Nodal officer Dr. Jayanta Kumar Mitra.
The training covered a comprehensive set of modules, including: hospital disaster management principles, hospital emergency incident response systems, the Disaster Management Act, triaging, logistics, communication, fire safety, mock drills, psychosocial care, hospital evacuation, continuity of services, and return to normalcy. Participants also took part in a field visit to the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) Base at Bhubaneswar to gain practical exposure.
The resource persons for the programme were faculty members of AIIMS Bhubaneswar, trained in national capacity-building programmes for health emergencies.
This marks the first time AIIMS Bhubaneswar implemented the programme, and it was the fourth training program under the national initiative to enhance hospital disaster preparedness across India.
