Pune: Senior Health Officials Review Preparedness For Ashadhi Palkhi Procession

Pune: With the Ashadhi Palkhi procession set to witness the participation of lakhs of Warkaris, the Public Health Department has stepped up its preparations to ensure uninterrupted and quality healthcare services along the pilgrimage route.

Acting on the directives of the Commissioner of Health Services and Mission Director of the National Health Mission, Sanjay Katkar, senior officials conducted inspections across districts on June 26 and 27 to assess the readiness of the health infrastructure.

During the visits, officials reviewed the preparedness of health institutions along the Palkhi route; availability of medical officers and healthcare staff; stock of essential medicines, medical equipment, ambulance services, referral mechanisms and emergency response systems.

They also assessed measures to prevent communicable diseases, drinking water quality monitoring, water purification arrangements, vector control initiatives, health camps, deployment of medical teams, the functioning of control rooms and coordination between the health department, district administration and other agencies.

Officials instructed local authorities to ensure that Warkaris receive uninterrupted, safe and efficient healthcare services throughout the pilgrimage and that emergency response mechanisms remain fully operational. Senior officers have also been directed to submit detailed inspection reports, along with their observations and recommendations, to the Office of the Commissioner of Health Services by June 30.

As part of the exercise, Joint Directors and Deputy Directors from various health divisions were assigned to inspect preparations in districts along the Palkhi route, including Pune, Satara, Solapur, Kolhapur, Latur, Nashik, Akola and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, to verify the readiness of healthcare services ahead of the annual pilgrimage.