Host of medical facilities along Amarnath yatra route

Srinagar: A total of 66 medical camps with adequate number of doctors and para-medical staff from across the country would be set up along the Amarnath yatra route to provide round-the-clock medical facility to the pilgrims.

The annual pilgrimage is scheduled to begin later this month.

"A total of 66 medical camps will be setup by the state health department, the Army, central paramilitary forces, state police and NGOs at identified locations on the twin yatra routes (Pahalgam in Anantnag and Baltal in Ganderbal)," Chief Executive Officer of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) Umang Narula said at a meeting here today.

The meeting, chaired by Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra who is also the chairman of the SASB, discussed in detail the medical facilities provided to the pilgrims for the the yatra scheduled to begin on June 29.

An official spokesman said the health department would be setting up five base hospitals, nine medical aid centres and 14 emergency aid centres along the twin routes besides providing medical facilities at the Neelgrath helipad for the convenience of devotees travelling through helicopters.

The department of Indian system of medicines will be establishing eight medical camps and two mobile camps which will move along with the "Charri Mubarak", the spokesman said.

In addition, six medical camps would be set up by the Army, ten by BSF, seven by CRPF, two by SSB and one each by ITBP and the state police.

The state health authorities also recommended establishment of three medical camps by various NGOs enroute yatra track.

The spokesman said 107 doctors including specialists from super speciality hospitals and prestigious medical institutes and 146 para-medical staff have been nominated till now by Union health ministry and the governments of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra for duty during the yatra period.

The spokesman said 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 conditions on the ground as well as the availability of the required infrastructure like water, shelter sheds, tents and sanitation facilities.

The base camp hospitals would be equipped with hyperbaric oxygen chambers, portable oxygen concentrators, automated CPR machines, defibrillators and cardiac monitors among others.

Gas fired boilers will also be made available at medical camps on the route, the spokesman said.