The Safety and Medical Advisory Council (SMAC) works actively during BOSM, constantly ensuring safety and working hand-in-hand with MedC to prevent overwhelming demand for its medical facilities. The BOSM English Press spoke to their coordinator, Abhivadya Vatsa, to find out more about their contributions to the fest.

Throughout the year, SMAC tackles safety issues that include the removal of honeycombs and rescuing snakes. This is done with the help of authorised personnel so that any sort of harm to the animals involved is minimised without compromising students’ safety.

To manage the increased demand of medical resources during BOSM, it requires them to ‘coordinate with an external body like Sarvajanik hospital.’ The process involves contacting the facility head and eventually hiring paramedics for the duration of the fest. In case of an emergency, the paramedics are well-equipped to take care of the situation on the spot. As a second layer of safety, ambulances, wheelchairs, and stretchers are kept on stand-by for the quickest possible response.

Handling critical situations efficiently demands ‘a lot of backend preparations.’ These include maintaining a medical inventory with sufficient supplies and constantly staying in touch with the administration.

Abhivadya acknowledged the fact that SMAC does not have medical credibility or training. They serve as a connecting body between patients and relevant medical facilities so that the process becomes as swift as possible. Mental health assistance is no exception and is provided by a qualified practitioner. 

When asked to reflect on their recent work experience, Abhivadya recalled the incident of a honeycomb falling to the ground during APOGEE 2022 where numerous people were stung by bees. Upon receiving this notification, SMAC was quick to reach out to the Chief Warden and tents were set up near Krishna Bhawan as a rapid response.

Concluding, Abhivadya said he hopes to witness a great exhibition of talent with ‘nail-biting matches’ and wished every BITSian a safe BOSM.