For the extraordinary resilience and crisis management skills shown by our Gleneagles HealthCity Chennai team during Cyclone Michaung in December 2023, IHH has nabbed the prestigious 2025 DRI International Awards of Excellence in the "Response and Recovery of the Year" category.
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.
Related Stories
Fortis Leads the Way in Building a Nation of First Responders
When a cardiac emergency strikes, survival often depends on what happens in the first few minutes. Before an ambulance arrives. Before hospital doors open. In those moments, a trained bystander can mean the difference between life and loss.
Gleneagles JPMC Collects 418kg of Waste in Beach Clean-Up Effort
Celebrate our Brunei colleagues for stepping beyond the hospital walls to make a real, measurable impact on the environment.
.png?sfvrsn=36e1af94_1)
Fortis Hospital Bannerghatta Road Successfully Treats Rare Nasal Tumour in Teen
After nearly two years of misdiagnosis, a 14-year-old boy suffering from a rare nasal tumour found a new lease of life at Fortis Hospital Bannerghatta Road.
Mount Elizabeth’s Revitalisation Sets a New Benchmark for Patient-Centred Care in the Region
IHH Healthcare Singapore is strengthening its legacy of care through the revitalisation of Mount Elizabeth Hospital (MEH), a flagship institution that has supported patients from Singapore, Indonesia and across the region for more than 45 years.
Fortis Charts the Future of Haematology
On 22 and 23 November, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram (Fortis Gurugram) hosted HemeNext 1.0, a pioneering national conference exploring how genomics, artificial intelligence, robotics and advanced cell therapies are reshaping haematology and infectious disease care across India.
Proudly the First: IHH Healthcare Singapore Achieves Full National Electronic Health Record Participation
IHH is proud to be the first private healthcare group in Singapore with all four hospitals fully contributing to the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR), reflecting our steadfast commitment to advancing continuity of care and building a more connected, patient-centred healthcare ecosystem.
