Dikhyaa Mohanty 
In order to protect the health and safety of the millions of devotees who are anticipated to attend the yearly celebration, the Odisha government has unveiled a thorough health and medical action plan for the forthcoming Rath Yatra in Puri. With 265 more hospital beds this year—a major increase from 140 beds last year—the healthcare readiness has been much improved, according to an official press release. These include of 15 intensive care unit beds at TB & IDH Hospital and 100 additional beds at the Government ANMTC in Puri. 50 general beds, 8 burn ward beds, and 10 intensive care unit (ICU) beds are among the 68 beds that the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), Puri, has set aside.
Specialized dressing rooms and two small operating rooms have been put up to handle medical emergencies. At the DHH Blood Bank, 200 units of blood have been secured for stock. A specialized medical team from AIIMS Bhubaneswar will be present in Puri for the first time to offer cutting-edge assistance throughout the celebrations. There will be 69 First Aid Centers operating throughout the festival, 32 of which will be managed by the government from June 27 to July 8 and 37 of which will be assisted by non-governmental organizations. These will have MBBS/AYUSH physicians, pharmacists, and support personnel on duty around-the-clock.
Strategic locations include:
- 9 centres along Grand Road (Lions Gate to Gundicha Temple)
- 8 centres on Puri-Bhubaneswar Road
- 5 centres at sea beach locations, including Swargadwar and Lighthouse
- 4 centres on Puri-Konark Road
- 2 centres near the Puri Railway Station
In order to treat heat-related illnesses, a 10-bed, air-conditioned Heat Stroke Center has also been created in Talabania. There will be 74 ambulances in all, 31 operated by the government and 43 by non-governmental organizations. With assistance from NGOs, all 108 emergency ambulances will continue to run along designated ambulance routes while remaining on alert.
378 Additional Health Personnel Deployed
To reinforce medical response, 378 additional health professionals have been mobilized from other districts. The team includes:
- 4 specialists (2 cardiologists, 2 neurosurgeons)
- 98 General Duty Doctors
- 15 AIIMS doctors
- 50 AYUSH Medical Officers
- 1 epidemiologist, 1 microbiologist
- 50 pharmacists, 50 medical staff
- 30 nursing officers
- 5 food safety officers
- 24 drivers for medical transportation
Increased health surveillance has led to 249 food establishment inspections and the removal of 494 kg of contaminated food. In addition to conducting 82 water quality tests and 10 stool culture tests, authorities have gathered 84 food samples and 22 water samples. For ongoing testing of food and water samples, high-traffic areas are covered by three specialized teams led by eight Food Safety Officers. While the third stage of disinfecting drinking water sources is underway, two Rapid Response Teams are ready to respond to any outbreaks.
A comprehensive Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign has been launched to raise public knowledge of the Ayushman Bharat initiative, COVID-19 precautions, ORS usage, and hygiene.
Key outreach activities include:
- Distribution of 3 lakh leaflets
- Installation of 38 hoardings
- Display of 54 IEC banners at First Aid Centres
- Organization of 18 folk shows (Pala and Ghoda Nacha)
- A dedicated health exhibition stall at Badasankha
Control Room and Zonal Surveillance
A 24×7 Rath Yatra Health Control Room has been set up to coordinate medical services and handle emergencies. The control room can be reached at +91 6370560247 or 06752-222175.
Puri district has been categorized into high-, medium-, and low-risk zones based on crowd density:
- High-risk zones: Bus Stand, Badasankha, Sea Beach (Digabareni to Chaitanya Chhak), Medical Square, etc.
- Medium-risk zones: Konark, Pipili, Nimapada, Gop, and adjoining areas
- Low-risk zones: Brahmagiri, Mirzapur, Satpada
Regular surveillance, hygiene checks, licensing of food outlets, and potable water inspections are being conducted across these zones in compliance with the FSS Act.
