ITANAGAR, Sep 28: Aimed at strengthening disaster preparedness and emergency response mechanisms in healthcare institutions, the Department of Disaster Management (GoAP) successfully conducted a three-day hospital mock exercise across five major hospitals in the Itanagar Capital Region.
The earthquake-based multi-hazard mock exercise was conducted at RK Mission Hospital, Heema Hospital, Hormin Hospital, Niba Hospital, and Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS), Naharlagun, on 25th, 26th, and 28th September.
The event saw active participation from the Directorate of Health Services (DHS), 12 Battalion National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire and Emergency Services, Aapda Mitra Volunteers, State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), Health Emergency Operation Centre (HEOC), and the participating hospitals, demonstrating a coordinated multi-agency approach to disaster management.
The mock exercise was designed around a magnitude 7.3 earthquake scenario, simulating multiple cascading emergencies, including structural damage to hospital buildings, fire incidents, patient evacuation, and a sudden surge of earthquake casualties requiring emergency medical care. The exercise was aimed at testing the effectiveness of Hospital Disaster Management Plans (HDMPs), strengthening inter-departmental coordination, assessing hospital emergency response procedures, and enhancing preparedness for large-scale disasters.
The programme was conducted in three phases. The coordination meeting and review of Hospital Disaster Management Plans (HDMPs) were held on 3rd September, followed by a Tabletop Exercise on 22nd September to assess decision-making and inter-agency coordination. The final phase comprised full-scale ground execution from 25th to 28th September, involving realistic emergency response operations at the participating hospitals.
The ground exercise included activation of the Hospital Incident Management System, patient evacuation, fire response, search and rescue coordination, mass casualty management, and communication among all responding agencies.
The exercise was conducted under the supervision and direction of Deputy Director Disaster Management Papang Duggong, assisted by District Disaster Management Officer Jogam Angu. Dr Dukam Taipodia, State Nodal Officer for Health Disaster Management, and Dr Marto Riram, Alternate State Nodal Officer Health (DM), served as resource persons and observers throughout the exercise. External observers from 12 Battalion NDRF monitored the conduct of the exercise and provided professional observations on emergency response procedures.
Earlier, during the coordination meeting, Director Disaster Management Marto Riba exhorted the hospital authorities to actively cooperate and participate in the mock exercise, emphasizing that preparedness is the key to saving lives during major emergencies. He highlighted that Arunachal Pradesh falls under Seismic Zone V, making regular preparedness exercises essential for ensuring that hospitals remain capable of responding effectively to earthquakes and other disasters while maintaining continuity of critical healthcare services.
The successful completion of the hospital mock exercise marks another significant step by the Dept of Disaster Management towards building resilient healthcare institutions and strengthening coordinated emergency response systems across the State.