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Round-the-clock medical watch for CHOGM delegates
Visiting heads of government and their delegations attending this month’s Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka will have blanket medical coverage, with emergency teams on alert to tackle any crisis. Around 200 medical officers, a similar number of nurses and 70 fully-equipped ambulances have been commissioned as part of the exercise, it is learnt.
Dr. Nihal Jayathilaka
It will not be medical training however but protocol training that will be held for three days starting from tomorrow for health personnel who would be part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Programme (CHOGM) programme. From November 4 to 6, there will be a recap of protocols such as how to address a Head of Government, not to approach them directly but go through their aides.
The measures also include mobilising 30 state hospitals around the country and a host of private hospitals and an Air Force emergency air evacuation team. The elaborate and meticulous medical response has been drawn up by the Health Ministry with sufficient training given to members of this task force to deal with any emergency, Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Nihal Jayathilaka told the Sunday Times.
At the designated hospitals, in addition to the rostered specialists, there would be a second on-call Specialist Duty Roster, it is learnt. Everything has been planned to the last detail by the Sub-committee on Health and Medical Facilities for CHOGM. This is being chaired and guided by Dr. Jayathilaka. Among the sub-committee’s large number of members are Deputy Director-General (Medical Services I) Dr. Lakshmi Somatunge and Medical Officers (Health Informatics) Dr. Kusal Wijayaweera and Dr. Nirmala Cooray.
There will be medical coverage at both the Katunayaka and Mattala airports as well as meetings at the Nelum Pokuna, the BMICH and Water’s Edge. Arrangements are also in place to attend to the medical needs of delegates at parallel events including the Youth Forum at Hambantota, the People’s Forum at Hikkaduwa, the Business Forum in Colombo and the Spouses’ Programmee.
While the Main Health Operations Room, working round-the-clock, will be located at the BMICH, medical clinics will be in operation at the airports and hotels which are accommodating the delegates. At all meeting locations, there will be an equipped Medical Centre to manage any basic medical emergency, Dr. Jayathilaka said.
Citing the example of someone complaining of chest pain, he said the delegate would be taken immediately to the Medical Centre equipped with cardiac monitors etc., stabilised at the venue and transferred to the closest designated hospital. The Main Health Operations Room would coordinate the arrangements.
The transfer would be in an ambulance which will have oxygen, nebulisation, suction equipment, emergency tray and basic resuscitation (intubation), it is learnt.
When the ill delegates are rushed to the closest designated hospital, they would be whisked through the CHOGM channel with designated staff awaiting their arrival, having been informed on its hotline by the Main Operations Room. Then the hospital team would take over the delegates’ care and treatment. While there is a focal point in every designated hospital, ICU beds would also be earmarked for any delegate who needs them.
Meanwhile, the sub-committee is also supporting the efforts to ensure water sanitation and food hygiene which come under the public health aspect. In Colombo city, strict monitoring of food hygiene and water sanitation is handled by the Municipality’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam, while in Hambantota and Galle the Regional Directors of Health will coordinate with the local authorities.
Environmental sanitation too will be ensured with such activities as fogging in the first week of November, Dr. Jayathilaka said. In the event of multiple emergencies, he said that while the CHOGM Secretariat has a Disaster Preparedness Plan, all hospitals also have similar plans in place.
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