On 3 December 2023, Chennai experienced its heaviest recorded rainfall in 47 years, with 20 hours of relentless downpour and rapidly rising water levels. Located just 5 km from the sea, Gleneagles HealthCity Chennai faced severe flooding, infrastructure damage, and power outages—posing immense challenges to hospital operations.

Despite these adversities, our team acted swiftly and strategically to ensure the safety of our patients and staff while keeping critical medical services running.

Winning the DRI International Award is a powerful validation of our commitment to continuous, safe, and effective healthcare services - even in times of crisis - made possible by our dedicated and courageous teams.

“As climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, we are proactively enhancing our flood risk mitigation strategies—investing in resilient infrastructure, robust response plans, and collaboration with stakeholders to safeguard our communities and operations,” said Santosh J Kumar, Deputy General Manager, Gleneagles India and Division Risk & Resilience Lead.

Unwavering Commitment to Patient Care

From the onset of the cyclone, our Crisis Management Team was fully activated, implementing proactive measures such as:

• Stockpiling four days’ worth of essential supplies (oxygen, medicine, food, and water)
• Deploying sandbags and secondary diesel generators to mitigate flood risks and power outages
• Maintaining close coordination with local authorities for real-time situational updates and emergency support
• Pre-arranging patient transfers with nearby hospitals to ensure continuity of care

However, as floodwaters surpassed projected levels, conditions worsened. By December 4, the Outpatient and Inpatient Blocks were knee-deep in water, requiring a strategic shift in response.

The team took immediate action to ensure essential medical services continued uninterrupted:

• Power to the ground floor was cut off to prevent electrical hazards.
• All 106 inpatients, including 5 ventilated patients, were safely relocated to upper floors.

However, with water levels remaining stagnant for two days, our team made the critical decision to evacuate patients on Dec 5 and 6.

• Patients in stable condition were transported home by boat.
• Remaining patients were evacuated the following day by tractor to other hospitals.

Zero patient or staff injuries were reported, as a result of our team’s meticulous planning and execution.

Building a More Resilient Future

As Chennai reeled from the devastation, our hospital teams worked around the clock to restore operations. Within two weeks, full hospital functionality was reinstated, allowing us to continue serving the community.

Our experience with Cyclone Michaung has reshaped our approach to disaster preparedness. Moving forward, we have implemented enhanced flood mitigation measures including:

• Flood walls and removable flood barriers at key entrances
• Elevating critical medical and facility equipment to higher ground
• Upgrading sump pump capacity for faster drainage
• Certifying hospital staff through DRI training programs for crisis preparedness

“As we recover, we are also focused on long-term resilience—ensuring that we are not just responding to disasters, but preparing for them with stronger, more adaptive strategies,” said Ramakrishna Paluri, Head of Projects, Gleneagles India.

Congratulations, Gleneagles India, for this outstanding award.