27 dead on Char Dham yatra route in Uttarakhand, govt seeks report

The health department on Thursday sought a detailed report from chief medical officers of Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts after 27 pilgrims have died during Char Dham pilgrimage that started on May 3. The four shrines are located in these districts.

Director general health Shailja Bhatt said she has instructed the chief medical officers of the three districts that there should be no shortage of health services at any level.

Bhatt said, “A per the data compiled till Wednesday, 27 pilgrims have died during Char Dham yatra and I have sought a detailed report on the death of the pilgrims from the respective CMOs in three districts.”

“We have deployed cardiologists in Char Dham routes and our doctors are competent enough to deal with emergencies but are faced with limitations as most of the cases are ‘brought dead’ ones,” she said.

Bhatt said one cardiac ambulance unit has been deployed in Uttarkashi while 12 advanced life support system units have been set up along with trained cardiologists on Char Dham yatra routes.

Health officials said more than 50 permanent medical units, more than 100 temporary units and temporary medical relief posts along with first aid medical research units have been set up along with deployment of 132 doctors on the Char Dham yatra routes.

At Kedarnath shrine area, two deaths were reported on Friday taking the tally at deaths to 11 at the shrine area. A 62-year-old pilgrim, a resident of Raigarh (Chhattisgarh), who was on his way to Kedarnath shrine from Gaurikund, received a head injury. He was brought to a nearby medical centre at Gaurikund by pilgrims and after first aid was airlifted to AIIMS Rishikesh from Sonprayag by the district administration team, said Mayur Dikshit, Rudraprayag district magistrate.

BK Shukla, chief medical officer of Rudraprayag, said: “As per the directions of district magistrate, so far 11 pilgrims, out of which 6 were had received injuries, were airlifted to higher medical centres thus saving their lives in the process.”

Shukla said around 9,356 pilgrims have been treated at the 16 medical units.