Aero India: Makeshift burns ward at Yelahanka hospital

The Aero India Show organisers along with the Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) have asked the Victoria Hospital administration to set up a 5-bed burns ward at the Yelahanka government hospital, in view of any eventualities during the 4-day event.

The move comes after the recent mishap where two pilots died of burn injuries, after they ejected from their Mirage 2000 trainer aircraft, as it crashed while taking off from the HAL airport due to a technical snag.

Dr K T Ramesh, professor and head of the department of the burns ward, said this was the first time the Victoria Hospital is being approached in this regard. “We got a request from our medical superintendent to depute a specialist doctor for burns in view of Aero India. We are deputing a team and creating a separate 5-bed facility for the purpose,” the doctor added.

KSDMA officials had written to the Victoria Hospital to keep beds and doctors reserved for 8 days from February 17-24. Accordingly, Victoria Hospital has reserved 25 beds, 10 ICU beds with ventilators, along with two nodal officers and two doctors. Four doctors are posted from the burns unit.

According to a doctor at the Victoria Hospital, KSDMA has asked for round-the-clock ambulance service along with a doctor to be present at the venue for 8 days. The hospital will be deputing two doctors along with an ambulance.

The doctor said, normally for the Aero show, the medical defence team was mainly deputed at the air base along with minimal staff from government hospitals. However, this year, elaborate arrangements are underway to tackle any untoward situation.

An official from KSDMA confirmed that arrangements for Aero India this year has been elaborate.

Dr Sanjeev Lewin, medical superintendent of the St John’s Hospital said, in Bengaluru, there are only two hospitals that take care of burn victims -- the 50-bed capacity burns ward at the Victoria Hospital and the 10-bed facility at the St John’s hospital.

“More hospitals should come forward to accommodate burn victims but, it is not the case. Burns ward requires isolated treatment to prevent infections and trained nursing staff to look after the victims. The demand for such facilities is the need of the hour,” the doctor added.