The Barranquilla health secretary on Friday placed hospitals in the coastal city on yellow alert in the lead-up to the community’s four days of flamboyant festivities.
Health Secretary Luis Alexander Moscoso Osorio said he had ordered the activation of contingency and emergency plans in all of Barranquilla’s public and private health institutions, to ensure the system was prepared for any problem that may occur during carnival.
More than 40 doctors and nurses, 180 emergency workers and ten officers from the local Office for the Prevention and Attention of Disasters will be on duty throughout the festival’s festivities, El Tiempo reported.
For events such as Saturday’s Battle of the Flowers – a parade of traditional and carnival-style dancing and music – ten medical attention points equipped with ambulances will be stationed along the Via 40, where the parade is based.
Mobile health units will also patrol the crowd.
The emergency health precautions follow concerns that Colombia’s most high profile event lacks sufficient resources for tourists, and could be dangerous for foreign visitors.
Moscoso Osorio stressed that revelers should not hesitate to contact emergency staff if necessary.
An emergency health line has been set up on: 3793333
Barranquilla Carnival kicks off tomorrow!