City hospitals gear up for New Year's eve

The casualty ward of HOSMAT hospital will now have four doctors, instead of two doctors on normal days. The orthopaedic department will have eight doctors, in place of the usual one and more nurses are deputed on duty. "We will have four additional doctors in ICU section along with the usual 10 doctors. We are also going to have two neurosurgeons and about four doctors each for operation theatre and wards," said Vice President Dr Ajith Rayan.

In addition, five ambulances will be on standby. Dr Rayan recalled that they received around 25 cases both minor and major, last year. "Most injuries are due to drunk driving," he said.

Similarly, Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, which has three to four duty doctors in each department, will have one more. While the surgery department will get one more staff doctor and three junior doctors, the orthopaedic unit will have four doctors (one senior and one junior) along with the usual two. "Besides, all the doctors will be on the call throughout the night for any emergency," said Dr Rajanna, the hospital's Resident Medical Officer.

As for Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, all the four ventilators in the ICU will be kept free. The hospital has also recently stocked emergency medicines and CT scan technician will be on duty the entire night. Six ambulances will be kept ready. Along with the two casualty medical officers and two orthopaedic doctors, who are on duty on regular days, there will be one anaesthetist, one neurosurgeon, two to three orthopeadic doctors and one plastic surgeon on call. Meanwhile, Dr B G Tilak, Medical Superintendent, Victoria Hospital said there were enough doctors and staff to handle any emergency situation on December 31. "If the need arises, we can call the PG doctors from the hostel, which is close by," he said.

The hospital did not receive an unusually large number of cases last year. Even NIMHANS has not made any special arrangements for December 31. "We keep ourselves mentally prepared for road accident cases on Saturday evenings and New Year eve. The doctors will be on the call," said Medical Superintendent Dr B N Gangadhar.