NAPCON 2026 to Feature Landmark Armed Forces–NYU Disaster Management Workshop in Kolkata
By Suman Munshi, Chief Editor, IBG NEWS
KOLKATA, October 29, 2026: A specialised disaster management workshop bringing together Indian Armed Forces medical professionals and experts from New York University (NYU) will be held today at ITC Royal Bengal, Kolkata, as part of the 28th National Conference on Pulmonary Diseases (NAPCON 2026).
Titled “Exercise Vayu Suraksha: Strengthening Readiness, Enhancing Response,” the full-day programme is designed to strengthen disaster preparedness through realistic, scenario-based simulations rather than conventional classroom lectures. Organised by serving officers of the Army Medical Corps in collaboration with faculty from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital, New York, the initiative is being led by Colonel Vikas Marwah, SM, and Colonel Manu Chopra.
The workshop will expose participants to three challenging emergency scenarios: natural and man-made disasters, including earthquakes, building collapses and crowd crush incidents; a pandemic-like respiratory outbreak requiring decisions on hospital surge capacity, oxygen availability and the distribution of limited medical resources; and a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) emergency involving an industrial chemical leak and fire in an occupied building.
Participants will work in designated teams, assess unfolding situations, formulate response strategies within stipulated timeframes and defend their decisions before the faculty. Discussions will cover the pre-hospital response, hospital operations and administrative coordination, followed by a structured debriefing and assessment.
Highlighting the need for practical preparedness, Colonel Vikas Marwah, Senior Advisor in Pulmonology at Army Hospital (Research & Referral), New Delhi, observed that although many hospitals maintain disaster management plans, comparatively few have tested those plans through actual exercises.
A key feature of the programme is its multidisciplinary approach. Chest physicians, emergency medicine specialists and medical officers serving India’s industrial belt will collaborate in common teams. The initiative seeks to bridge gaps between professionals who may otherwise prepare for emergencies independently but must coordinate closely when a major incident occurs.
The international collaboration will bring together experience from different disaster-response environments. Dr Vikramjit Mukherjee and Dr Deepak Pradhan of NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital will share their experience of managing the severe COVID-19 surge in New York, alongside Indian experts familiar with emergency response under resource-constrained conditions.
Emphasising the importance of international cooperation, Dr Vikramjit Mukherjee said that disasters transcend national boundaries, making shared learning and coordinated preparedness essential.
The faculty includes Colonel (Prof.) Sanjay Srivastava of the National Disaster Management Authority, Colonel Vikas Marwah, Colonel (Dr.) Yadu Vir Singh, Lieutenant Colonel Anurag Mishra, Dr Saurabh Kole, Dr Vikramjit Mukherjee, Dr Deepak Pradhan and Dr Ansuman Mitra. The programme will also address disaster response teams, community resilience and the management of acute stress in the Indian context.
By combining military medical expertise, international experience and practical simulations, Exercise Vayu Suraksha aims to improve inter-agency coordination and strengthen the readiness of healthcare professionals to respond effectively when large-scale emergencies occur.
About NAPCON 2026
The National Conference on Pulmonary Diseases (NAPCON) is India’s annual national conference of pulmonologists, organised by the Indian Chest Society and hosted in different parts of the country. The 28th edition is scheduled to take place in Kolkata from October 30 to November 1, 2026.
For further information: www.napcon2026.co.in
— IBG NEWS
