Hospitals to open in Badrinath & Kedarnath before start of Char Dham Yatra
Medical teams to be trained in high altitude work for Yatra season: Kumar
Monday, 04 MARCH 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
With the Char Dham Yatra slated to resume in May, the government is working to open hospitals in Badrinath and Kedarnath before the start of the Yatra. Stating this, the Health secretary R Rajesh Kumar said that the approval for purchasing equipment for these hospitals was granted in the cabinet chaired by chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami recently. In addition to this, experienced medical teams are being deployed on the Yatra routes to work in high altitude regions to provide immediate medical services to the pilgrims. Kumar also appealed to the pilgrims to undergo a health check-up before the pilgrimage.
The secretary said that the Health department is working on preparations for the Char Dham Yatra on the directions of CM Dhami and Health minister Dhan Singh Rawat. Earlier, an important meeting was chaired by chief secretary Radha Raturi who issued various instructions regarding the Yatra. In pursuance of these instructions, preparations for the Yatra are being undertaken at a brisk pace. Kumar informed that a medical team of about 150 persons will be deployed for the pilgrims. This team will be provided training to work in high altitude areas. The doctors will be posted for periods of 15 days each. According to the Health secretary, this time the Health department will not deploy doctors posted in Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts for Yatra duty. Instead, the department will deploy doctors and other medical staff from other districts of Garhwal and the Kumaon region on the pilgrimage route.
Kumar further said that health check-ups will be arranged for pilgrims at various places on the Char Dham Yatra circuit. Special focus will be laid on health screening of the pilgrims in the initial phase of the Yatra. The health of patients will be checked in detail at health points on the Yatra route and they will be allowed to proceed further after that. He appealed to the pilgrims to visit Uttarakhand but also undergo health checks before undertaking the pilgrimage. Those suffering from blood pressure and cardiac issues along with pregnant women should undertake the pilgrimage only after undergoing health checks. The department will maintain a health record of the pilgrims, he said, while suggesting that people should undertake the Yatra only when the weather is conducive.
People from across the nation and abroad undertake the Char Dham Yatra and it has been seen that many times they face difficulties in understanding the guidelines due to language limitations. Last year the department had issued the standard operating procedure in nine languages in addition to Hindi and English. This year, the department will issue the SOPs in 11 languages to enable more of the pilgrims to understand the health related guidelines properly. The guidelines will be issued in Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannad, Punjabi, Marathi and Odiya in addition to Hindi and English, he added.
