Chairman Shrine Board reviews medical care arrangements for Yatra 2017

SRINAGAR, JUNE 9:  In a meeting held today Shri Umang Narula, Chief Executive Officer, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, (SASB) furnished an item wise report to Governor N.N. Vohra, Chairman of the Shrine Board, about the arrangements made for the medical care of pilgrims for the forthcoming Shri Amarnathji Yatra. CEO’s Report was prepared after extensive discussions with the State Government, Army and Central Paramilitary Forces. CEO also informed that Director Health Services, Kashmir has been asked to ensure that the necessary advanced medical facilities are provided not only at Base Hospitals but also at other Medical Centers on the Yatra routes. 

Chairman Shrine Board re-iterated the need to ensure that each of the agencies setting up medical camps in the Yatra area are allotted specific sites to ensure that medical facilities are provided in every vulnerable stretch.

As decided, a total of 66 Medical Camps will be setup by the State Health Department, Army, Central Paramilitary Forces, J&K Police, NGOs, etc.  at identified locations on the Yatra routes. Director Health Services, Kashmir, informed that the State Health Department would be setting  up 5 Base Hospitals at Baltal, Chandanwari, Sheshnag, Panjtarni and the Holy Cave; 9 Medical Aid Centres at Domel, Brari Marg, Sangam Top, Frislan, Pissu Top, Zojibal, Nagakoti, MG-Top, Poshpatri, Railpatri; 14 Emergency Aid Centres between Chandanwari and Pissu Top, between Pissu Top and Zojibal, between Wavbal and Sheshnag towards Sheshnag, Wavbal Top, Kelnar, Dardkote, between Sangam Top and Holy Cave, near Lower Holy Cave, Railpatri, between Railpatri and Brari Marg, Langar site before Brari Marg, Y-Junction, Kali Mata Track, and Sangam Down. The Department would also be providing medical facilities at Neelgrath Helipad for the convenience of  Yatris who travel by helicopters.

Department of Indian System of Medicines will be establishing 8 Medical Camps at Baltal, Brari Marg, Nunwan, Chandanwari, Sheshnag, Panjtarni, Lower Holy Cave and two Mobile Camps which will move along with the Charri Mubarak.

 In addition to the above Camps, 6 Medical camps will be established by the Army, 10 by BSF, 7 by CRPF, 2 by SSB and one each by ITBP and JK Police. Further, for supplementing the health facilities for the Yatra, the Director Health Services Kashmir has also recommended establishment of 3 Medical Camps by different NGOs enroute Yatra Track.

Director Health Services, Kashmir, informed that 107 doctors including Specialists from Super Speciality Hospitals and prestigious Medical Institutions and 146 para-medical staff have been nominated till now by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, and the State Governments of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan  and Maharashtra,  for duty during the Yatra period.

Dr. Pawan Kotwal, Commissioner, Health and Medical Education Department informed that the Medical Camps being set up by the Health Department are located at an average distance of 2 km from each other on the basis of actual conditions obtaining on the ground as well as the availability of the required infrastructure like water, shelter sheds, tents and sanitation facilities. He further informed that the Base Camp Hospitals shall be equipped with Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers, Portable Oxygen Concentrators, Automated CPR machines, Defibrillators and Cardiac Monitors, Portable X-Ray & Ultrasound Machines (Baltal and Chandanwari), ECG Machines etc; the Medical Aid Centres with portable Oxygen Cylinders, Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers, Diagnostic Kits, Pulse Oxymeter, Automated CPR Machines, Defibrillators and Cardiac Monitors, and Blood Sugar Kits; the Emergency Aid Centres with Medical & Surgical Kits, Portable Oxygen Cylinders, ECG Machines, BP Machine, Diagnostic Kits, Pulse Oxymeter, Blood Sugar kits etc. The State Health departments shall be providing adequate Medicines at its Medical Camps for the Yatris. He further informed that all the Doctors and Para-medical staff would be provided training as per the updated Orientation Course in High Altitude Medical Emergencies, prepared on the basis of Guidelines formulated by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Institute of Aerospace Medicines, Bengaluru. 

Dr. Kotwal further informed that the State Health Department would increase the number of signages for this year’s Yatra with reduced spacing between them, forewarning the pilgrims about the risks involved in walking fast on the track, apprising the Yatris about the elevation, the location of next medical care centre / Oxygen booth, its distance, ideal walking time and ideal travel speed to reach there.

He further informed that Director Health Services, Kashmir would also be providing oxygen concentrators at regular intervals, particularly in the critical stretches of the Yatra area, which are manned by Medical personnel to meet any exigency. Gas fired boilers will also be made available at Medical Camps in the Yatra area.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Pawan Kotwal Commissioner/ Secretary Health and Medical Education Department; Ms. Sonali Mishra  IG BSF Kashmir; Shri Muneer Ahmed Khan IGP Kashmir; Mr Jitendra Kumar Singh  Additional Chief Executive Officer Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board; Dr Saleem Director, Health Services Kashmir; Dr A S Ahangar, Director SKIMS; Mr. P.S. Rajora, DIG, (Ops) CRPF, Kashmir Sector; Mr Sanand Kamal, DIG, CRPF Srinagar Sector; Shri Rajinder Bhumbla, DIG SSB; Col Jayaprakash, Col Medical, HQ 15 Corps; Capt Sahil Gorkha, ADJT, 439 Field Hospital; Dr Sanjeev Puri, Assistant Director Health, Jammu;  Dr Sajad Shuja, Assistant Director, ISM;  Shri Piyush Pushkar, Two 1/C, ITBP and officers of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board.