BMC pads up against chemical attacks in hosps

Within a fortnight, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)'s disaster management cell will issue a standard operation procedure (SOP) to all city hospitals to deal with chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) attacks. Hospital administrations and doctors are required to follow the SOP in order to minimise response time.

"The current initiative has no connection to the chemical attack in Syria as we have been working on it for a long time," said a senior official of BMC's disaster management cell. The official added that there were instances in the past where people died due to chemical leakages, and hospitals were not sure how to tackle the problem.

He added, "Presently, we are preparing the SOP for hospitals. We hope it will be prepared within a fortnight. It will be circulated among all hospitals, including private centres. All hospitals are required to follow the SOP strictly."

The SOP, as per the civic official, will ensure all hospitals are equipped with the knowledge to react in case of a CBRN attack, even if the incident takes place in the hospital itself. "There is possibility that a chemical attack could take place in the hospital or there is a chemical leakage on the hospital premises. In such a scenario, the hospital administration should have clear guidelines to ensure operations are resuscitated," he said.

WHAT IT CONTAINS

• The team shall be responsible for providing first aid and treatment to the extent possible to the victims at the incident site
   
• Ascertain the triage level of the victim with respect to respiration, pulse and neurological status.