Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday chaired a meeting with Dr Dhan Singh Rawat, Health Minister, Uttarakhand.
Rawat called on the Minister and requested support from the Union Government for developing a health and emergency infrastructure for the lakhs of pilgrims who undertake the Char Dham yatra every year.
He informed the Union Health Minister of the health challenges pilgrims face along the strenuous route and the number of pilgrim deaths in the past few months due to health emergencies such as stroke.
Many of these casualties were pilgrims who suffered from co-morbidities, he added.
After the meeting, Mandaviya stated, "The Government is soon going to create a strong health support and emergency management infrastructure for the pilgrims embarking on the Cham Dham yatra from across the country. This will be a three-layered structure to ensure that the pilgrims are provided for during their journey from a medical point of view."
Mandaviya assured full support from the Government and stated, "The best possible healthcare and health emergency infrastructure will be provided for the visiting pilgrims".
He informed that a strong network of advanced ambulances and stroke vans is planned to ensure that stroke management and treatment can start on way to the health facility. These ambulances will be stationed at different points on the yatra route, he added.
Meanwhile, postgraduate (PG) students from medical colleges from across the country are proposed to be deployed as part of strengthened healthcare infrastructure and will act as first responders, Mandaviya added.
"This experience will also act as a skilling and capacity-building exercise for the PG students", Dr Mandaviya elaborated.
In addition to this, drones will also be used to provide emergency medicines in the higher locales of the yatra.
Drones have been successfully used for the transportation of Covid-19 vaccines in the northeastern region. Recently, AIIMS-Rishikesh has started a drone service to deliver and pick up medicines, the health minister stated.
"A strong referral backend system is being developed with AIIMS Rishikesh, Doon Medical College and Srinagar Medical Colleges acting as tertiary nodes for specialist care. This shall provide an end-to-end clinical treatment for pilgrims' health," he added.
These measures will be supported with citizen-friendly communication and awareness activities such as websites or portals to inform pilgrims of weather conditions, the importance of acclimatization, the location of health facilities on the way, call centre numbers, pre-yatra screening, emergency support numbers, etc, he added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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