Blitz Bureau
KEEPING in view the upcoming Chardham pilgrimage slated to commence on May 2, the Pushkar Singh Dhami Government is gearing up to provide better health- related facilities to pilgrims visiting the Yamnotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines. It will ensure availability of helicopter and boat ambulance services, besides health monitoring through the e-health Dham portal.
The Uttarakhand Government has decided to set up two new hospitals in Kedarnath and Badrinath Dham. The former will be a 17-bed hospital, while the latter will have 45 beds. In addition, 25 specialist doctors will be deployed on the yatra route, so that the devotees can get quick medical assistance.
Around 20 medical relief posts and 31 health check-up centres will be set up on the yatra route. The number of ambulances deployed has been increased to 154 of which 17 ambulances will be Advanced Life Support Ambulances. Uttarakhand health secretary Rajesh Kumar said the state is fully committed to giving timely and much-needed health facilities to religious tourists specially at Badrinath and Kedarnath where a huge number of tourists are expected.
Senior officials will closely monitor the health conditions of those visiting the places. Health Minister Dhan Singh Rawat said that all pilgrims will be screened in different 37 medical health centres on their way to Chardham yatra. Last year, more than 34,000 medical emergencies were reported, of which 1,011 patients were rescued by ambulance and 90 by helicopter.