New Delhi, July 11 -- In an effort to strengthen the country's medical emergency preparedness, the Union government is working on a plan to create a specialized cadre of doctors and medical staff equipped to effectively manage incidents involving mass casualties.

These frontline healthcare workers will be stationed at hospital emergency units, and the development assumes significance given the increasing frequency of natural and man-made disasters, according to officials aware of the matter.

This army of doctors will be crucial in providing an immediate and coordinated medical response during large-scale emergencies.

The initiative is called the Mass Casualty Management Programme, and more than 1,000 healthcare workers will be trained ...