New Delhi, July 29 (IANS) Hundreds of doctors in the national capital will be trained to handle chemical disaster before the Commonwealth Games next year.
A three-day special training programme was launched Wednesday at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) as a beginning to get prepared for “dirty bomb attacks during Commonwealth Games”. There will be longer programmes soon.

“We may face tough time in near future, and the effort is part of the preparedness to face any chemical during the mega sporting event,” said M.C. Mishra, head of the AIIMS trauma centre.

“Dirty bombs which are aimed at spreading diseases are deadly to handle. Unless doctors and rescue teams are trained properly, it will be tough to face such a situation,” Mishra added.

The programme is initiated jointly by the Delhi government, AIIMS, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

“The Delhi government had expressed its desire to train its doctor, hence we are carrying out the training. So far, we in India are weak in chemical disaster management and this effort will equip us to face any such eventuality,” said Lt. Gen J.R. Bharadwaj, member of the NDMA.

In the beginning 40 doctors from Delhi government hospitals will be trained. “There will be no full stop in training of doctors on various aspects of this disaster,” Mishra said.

Major-General J.K. Bansal, a chemical disaster management expert with NDMA, said: “Dirty bomb is the new threat during major events. These bombs have the capacity to spread radioactive rays. They can impact kidney, eyes, reduce fertility and cause many more health hazards.”

Bansal said there will be live demonstration of a possible situation. Doctors will be trained on how to deal with such a situation. “The immediate medical care is required. The precaution needs to be taken.”

After training doctors in Delhi, doctors from Chandigarh too will be trained.