Pilgrim dies as ambulance service says got no calls

VICTIM’S RELATIVES SAY THEY MADE MANY CALLS TO 108, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE RESPONSE

DEHRADUN:The108emergencyservice provider on Wednesday denied having received any SOS call from the family members of a Chardham pilgrim from Uttar Pradesh who died of cardiac arrest in Rudraprayag district.

The victim’s relatives alleged on Tuesday that they made many calls to 108, the integrated emergency response number, but did not receive any response. Devendra Prasad Tiwari, a resident of Gonda district, complained of chest pain. He was part of a 25-member group of pilgrims which visited Gangotri and Yamunotri .Tiwari was staying at a hotel at Sitapur (which falls before Gaurikund) after visiting Kedarnath on Monday.

Tiwari’s wife Kalawati asserted that she repeatedly dialled 108 but, upon failing to get any response, hired a private vehicle to take her husband to the Rudraprayag district hospital located around 70 km away. Doctors declared Tiwari brought dead. The health department sought a report from the emergency service provider by Wednesday. “We ran a check on our database for the numbers provided (through which the calls were reportedly made) but found that we didn’t receive any call from those numbers on May 23...We have submitted our response today,” Manish Tinku, state head of 108 emergency services, told Hindustan Times. Seven ambulances were deployed in the district.

Rudrprayag district magistrate Manglesh Ghildiyal said the district administration will hold further probe in the matter. “We have now sought call details from the Rudraprayag SP and the GM of BSNL.”

This year, 13 pilgrims have died en route Kedarnath so far due to heart attacks. Rudraprayag chief medical officer Dr Saroj Naithani said efforts would be made to provide an additional option to pilgrims for contacting authorities in medical emergency cases. “We are requesting (the health department) to flash and publicise 104 other than 108 for guiding pilgrims to the nearest health facility.”