KOLKATA: In a bid to ensure that pilgrims get adequate medical attention in case of a need, the state Health department has decided to send five special medical officers from Swasthya Bhawan to Gangasagar Mela.
Two senior medical officers from the discipline of general medicine will be posted at Gangasagar Mela while there will be two officers from the community medicines who will be discharging duties at the Mela. A senior medical officer from the discipline of tropical medicine will also be posted at the Mela. Health department has constituted a rapid response team of doctors which will be deployed at Gangasagar Mela to ensure prompt health care services to the pilgrims coming to take a holy dip.
The Mela will be held from January 9-17. All these medical officers will be there at the Mela from January 8-17 so that they can promptly address any situation. The Commissioner of Food Safety has already urged the Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMoH) in South 24-Parganas to ensure the utilization of food safety on wheels at Gangasagar Mela ground from January 9-17 so that the district health administration keeps a tab on food safety issues. The officials will check the quality of the food sold to the pilgrims by examining the random samples. Food Safety is a challenge in the huge gathering of Gangasagar Mela. Food Safety Officers will look after issues of food safety officers will look after food safety issues through inspection
and sampling.