Omar for resilient preparedness for disaster management

              JAMMU, DECEMBER 21 – Chief Minister, Mr. Omar Abdullah Monday said that disaster management means holistic and resilient preparedness to face the different exigencies and scenarios caused and created by natural disasters.

            Inaugurating a 3-day workshop on ‘Integrating Hospitals safe from Disasters’ at Hari Niwas here, Mr. Abdullah said that whenever disasters take place we generally reach out to the army for management, rescue and evacuation of affected persons.  “We have to prepare civil administration and the society to competently address the need of the hour during emergencies and natural calamities of greater magnitudes”, he added.

            Mr. Abdullah said that talking about management of disasters generally begins when disasters end and shortcoming in the system surface, therefore, there is urgent need to build a system capable and fully prepared for managing the crises. He said while formulating disaster management strategy the worst of worst situation has to be imagined and plans formulated accordingly to deal with such a situation effectively.

            Mr. Omar expressed the hope that the workshop will focus on this area and come out with viable mechanism that can be put in place to face the disaster problems and save the maximum lives and property in the hour of emergency. He said poor and delayed healthcare facility nearer the disaster affected areas is largely responsible for greater loss of life. “Longer the distance of good hospital from the affected area greater is the risk to the survival of injured”, he said asking for a comprehensive plan for equipping and identifying disaster management hospitals with trained medicos and para-medical staff.

            The Chief Minister said that his government is ready to accept any viable model for the disaster management adding that he is keen to have an effective, responsive and resilient disaster management system in the state to face any exigency or natural disaster. “Let us pray to God to save us from all calamities and disasters”, he said adding the preparedness is imperative to minimize the loss of human lives in case of disaster.

            Mr. Omar said that it would be proper for the participants of the workshop to work on the management of earthquake and snow tsunami situations as these are the main natural disasters Jammu and Kashmir is faced with. “We are on 4th and 5th line of seismic range making us vulnerable to the earthquakes. This is the area requiring focus”, he said and asked the workshop to workout useful model for Jammu and Kashmir for earthquake disaster management.

            The Chief Minister emphasized on creating earthquake resistant hospitals and other public service giving infrastructure in the state. “In future while designing hospitals, schools and other infrastructures, this aspect should be ensured and public made fully aware of building earthquake resistant residential and commercial houses”, he stressed.

            The Minister for Health, Mr. Sham Lal Sharma, Minister for Medical Education, Mr. R. S. Chib, Vice Chairman, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), General (Retd) N. C. Vij, Member NDMA, Lt. Gen (Retd), Bhardwaj, Medical Superintendent of AIIMS, Dr. Shakti Gupta also spoke on the occasion. The Political Advisor to Chief Minister, Mr. Devender Singh Rana, MLA Mr. Rachpal Singh, former Minister, Mr. Mula Ram and Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Dr. Pawan Kotwal were present on the occasion.

            The Chief Minister on the occasion released a Book on Disaster Management authored by Mr. Hari Kumar.

            The workshop has been organized by the State Health Department and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi in collaboration with World Health Organization, National Disaster Management Authority and GEO Hazards Society-India.

            The 3-day workshop will deliberate upon earthquake safely of hospital building and structures, equipments and contents inside buildings. There will also be panel discussion on ‘Ensuring Continuity of Health Services after Disaster’ designing hospitals safe from disasters and Management Plan to deal with emergency situation.

            Dr. Shakti Kumar Gupta, Dr. Yashpal Sharma, Dr. CVR Murty, Mr. Hari Kumar, Col. S. D. Behera, Dr. P. G. Dhar Chakrabarty, Dr. Jasbir Singh, Dr. M. A. Wani, Mr. Anup Karanth and Dr. R. Chandrashekher will read papers and take parts in penal discussions in the workshop.