Gujarat minister reviews emergency preparedness in border districts

Gandhinagar, May 10 (IANS) Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel conducted a comprehensive review of the state’s healthcare preparedness, particularly in border districts, through a video conference held in Gandhinagar.

As a border state connected to Pakistan by land, sea, and air, Gujarat has taken proactive steps to ensure full readiness of its healthcare infrastructure.

The Health Minister directed officials to assess and strengthen all critical medical services in districts along the border, with a special focus on emergency response systems.

He emphasised the importance of having advance arrangements in place, including adequate supplies of medicines, availability of hospital beds, functional ICUs, and an uninterrupted blood supply.

Patel instructed senior health department officials to collect detailed, ground-level information on all existing medical facilities -- from Primary Health Centers to district hospitals and medical college-affiliated institutions --to ensure they are fully equipped to handle any crisis.

The session saw participation from Health Secretary Dhananjay Dwivedi and other senior officials.

Together, they discussed the state’s preparedness to tackle any emergency scenario, ensuring all systems are alert, coordinated, and capable of delivering essential healthcare services without delay.

Patel further stressed that all border and interior districts must maintain a heightened level of alertness and operational efficiency to respond swiftly in case of any escalation in tensions.

Meanwhile, Pakistan launched between 300 and 400 drones in coordinated overnight attacks targeting Indian military installations across nearly 36 locations.

The strikes, which occurred between the night of May 7 and 8, marked one of the most extensive drone offensives witnessed in the region.

Addressing a joint press conference on Friday evening, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi confirmed the violation of Indian airspace and a series of coordinated intrusions by Pakistani drones. "The Pakistani army attempted to infiltrate Indian airspace multiple times across the entire western sector with the clear intent of targeting military infrastructure," she said.

"In total, 300 to 400 drones were deployed to strike or infiltrate 36 locations, ranging from the northern region of Leh to the southernmost stretch at Sir Creek," Colonel Qureshi added.

--IANS

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