Ahead of the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple, beds have been reserved at city-based, district hospitals and the medical college here, and specialists from the AIIMS have provided focused emergency response training to the doctors at healthcare institutions in Ayodhya.
These beds have been reserved for the guests, who will attend the the 'pran pratishtha' ceremony at the newly-built Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, officials said.
Over 7,000 guests have been invited to attend the consecration ceremony.
In view of the massive gathering in the temple town, the Ayodhya district administration has made arrangements to deal with any health emergency situation, especially in view of the biting cold in the holy city.
Ayodhya city has one government healthcare centre -- the over 120-year-old Sri Ram Hospital -- which is located near the Ramjanmabhoomi temple site along Ram Path.
"All protocols have been decided which will be followed in case any patient care is required. If anyone associated with the event faces any health emergency, the first place they will be taken to is the Sri Ram Hospital, where beds have been reserved," a senior official told PTI here.
In case, a referral is needed, the patient will be sent to Ayodhya district hospital and if further treatment is needed for any speciality then the patient will be taken to the Maharshi Dasrath Medical College at Darshan Nagar, he said.
Ayodhya has two British-era district hospitals, one each for male and female patients, located in Faizabad town.
Dr Brij Kumar, Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of the District Hospital (Male), said this district hospital has 212 beds and the female one has 268 beds.
"Currently, about 25 beds have been reserved at our hospital and it is planned to reserve about 20 per cent beds by January 22 so that they can cater to the guests, who will gather in Ayodhya for the mega ceremony," he told PTI.
The district hospital (male) has a team of doctors, including a cardiologist, three physicians, three orthopaedic surgeons, two pediatricians and two ENT surgeons, Kumar said, adding it is cold season so "our doctor will be alert".
The CMS of the district hospital (male) added that "elective surgery lined up at our hospital will be halted" for some days in view of the big event from January 20.
Besides some of the senior doctors from the Sri Ram Hospital, the two district hospitals have received specially training on medical emergency response from doctors of the AIIMS, Kumar said.
The training took place at the medical college campus here, he added.
"From the Centre's side, all preparations to assist the state government will be there if they need anything. All India Institute doctors, emergency response teams, they will work here with the state government and the state government have also augmented emergency beds and oxygen facilities and specialist doctors will be brought in. So, the preparations are underway from both the Centre and state sides," a senior official from the central government had earlier told PTI.
Sources said 50 beds out of the 212 beds have been reserved at the Ayodhya district hospital (female).
PTI visited the two district hospitals on Thursday evening and the wards reserved, where beds and oxygen cylinders and other medical equipment were kept.
Sources said ambulances in a staggered manner will be kept on stand by at regular distances from the temple complex site.
At least 10 basic life support system-equipped ambulances from the district hospitals' side have been kept reserved for the January 22 event, a source said, adding advance life support-equipped ambulances will also be positioned through other agencies.
Medicine stocks have been augmented, another source said, adding, 7,000 is a huge number of people and it is cold season and many elderly guests are also expected, so arrangements are being made accordingly.
After the 'pran pratishtha' ceremony, over a lakh of devotees are expected to descend in the temple town from January 23 onwards.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak had recently told reporters here that all arrangements being made for the devotees, who will come for 'darshan' of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, whether it is for staying, drinking water, protection from cold and medicines.
"Ayodhya is ready to host the devotees of Ram Lalla. All security parameters decided, there is fullproof security arrangements. On the healthcare front, all arrangements been made. Extra doctors have been deployed at the hospitals, extra ambulances arranged, we have made an arrangement for a CATH lab. We have also taken assistance of private doctors".
