Chandigarh: In anticipation of a possible escalation following the military standoff between India and Pakistan, the Punjab government undertook a massive emergency preparedness initiative, arranging over 11,000 hospital beds and mobilizing critical care infrastructure across the state.
Over 11,000 Beds Readied Across Secondary and Tertiary Hospitals
Even before the ceasefire agreement between the two nations took effect at 5 pm on Saturday, Punjab had already activated its emergency response plan. As part of the preparations, 10,800 beds were arranged in secondary-level hospitals and 1,151 beds in tertiary care hospitals.
The government allocated 2,638 beds at district, sub-division, and block-level facilities for emergency response, alongside 967 trauma care beds and 187 ICU-level beds.
Major Cities Get Highest Allocations
The highest number of beds — 300 each — were designated in Patiala and Amritsar, followed by 103 beds at PIMS, Jalandhar. These facilities have been supplemented with 126 ventilators in district hospitals and 65 ICU beds with functional ventilators.
There are also 314 trauma beds equipped with critical care support available across district and sub-divisional hospitals.
Emergency Supplies and Ambulance Network Mobilized
The state has ensured the availability of over 11,201 units of blood, with 5,934 units at government centres and 5,267 at private centres. According to officials, the government rushed medical supplies to key hospitals over the past two days to bolster readiness.
In terms of emergency transport, Punjab currently has 28 Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances, 164 Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances, and 300 ambulances under the 108 scheme. Drivers’ contact numbers have been shared with district nodal officers to ensure rapid deployment.
Doctors, Emergency Teams on High Alert
All civil surgeons have been instructed to ensure doctors, nurses, and staff remain at their posting stations and are reachable round-the-clock. Emergency response teams have been constituted at each hospital, with doctors and frontline personnel connected through dedicated WhatsApp groups.
“The exercise, though triggered by tensions, gave us an opportunity to review and streamline our healthcare response,” a senior government official said. “The situation was reviewed at the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s level.”
Referral Systems and Private Sector Integration
A referral map has been created to link each district with the nearest medical college. Punjab’s 10 medical colleges have been integrated into the response framework, covering all 23 districts. These include:
- GMC Patiala
- GMC Amritsar
- GGSMC Faridkot
- SGRD Amritsar
- PIMS Jalandhar
- DMC Ludhiana
- CMC Ludhiana
- RIMT Fatehgarh Sahib
- Gian Sagar Medical College, Naur
- Adesh Medical College, Bathinda
Private hospitals and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have also pledged support, committing to provide ambulances if needed.
