Well being Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and his employees on the state-of-the-art well being emergency response middle at Arogya Soudha in Bengaluru on Might 7, 2026. Karnataka was one of many first main states in India to function such superior public well being services. |Photograph courtesy: Particular Association
To strengthen preparedness and response to public well being emergencies and disasters, the Karnataka State Well being Division on Might 7 launched a state-of-the-art Well being Emergency Operations Middle (HEOC) at Arogya Soudha in Bengaluru.
Established beneath the Union authorities’s Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Well being Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), the HEOC will function a centralized command and management facility for monitoring, coordination, useful resource deployment and decision-making throughout well being crises.
This effort builds on classes discovered throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which uncovered gaps in coordination, real-time monitoring, and speedy response methods. Karnataka is likely one of the main states in India that has operated such superior public well being services.
central command unit
Inaugurating the middle, Well being Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao mentioned the HEOC will act as a central command unit to make sure well timed decision-making, environment friendly utilization of sources and dissemination of correct data throughout emergencies.
He mentioned the necessity for such a system was keenly felt throughout the pandemic, when lack of coordination emerged as a serious problem.
Referring to epidemics, fireplace incidents and pure disasters, the minister mentioned command and management facilities have been arrange in step with World Well being Group (WHO) tips.
Officers mentioned the HEOC will function across the clock by way of an built-in, technology-driven framework geared toward shifting emergency administration from a reactive strategy to a proactive, preparedness-based system.
The ability incorporates a central operations room, high-definition video wall, video conferencing system, emergency name processing system, information servers, networking infrastructure, and real-time dashboards for monitoring and response coordination. The middle is unfold over roughly 235 sq. meters inside Arogya Soudha and is designed to assist steady operations throughout emergencies.
Coordination with a number of companies
The HEOC will work with a number of companies, together with the Built-in Illness Surveillance Program (IDSP), State Catastrophe Administration Authority, police, fireplace and emergency companies, district administration, and different departments concerned in catastrophe response and public well being administration.
Officers mentioned the middle will operate by way of 4 operational phases, relying on the character and severity of the emergency: surveillance mode, alert mode, response mode and post-recovery mode.
Coordination with different departments
The minister mentioned the HEOC facilitates coordination throughout the Ministry of Well being, in addition to the Division of Income, the State Catastrophe Administration Authority, the police, and fireplace and emergency companies in instances of disaster.
The middle will allow immediate contact with the district administration and district well being companies. The state authorities plans to develop the system by way of a hub-and-spoke mannequin linking district-level models, the minister mentioned.
