Health checkup of all devotees above 50 years of age coming to Chardham Yatra will be mandatory. They will be examined in the screening centers set up on the Yatra route. The special thing is that multilingual staff will be deployed at these screening points, who will talk to the devotees easily and provide primary investigation and health consultation after knowing their problems. On Wednesday, Secretary Health Dr. R Rajesh Kumar held a review meeting regarding Chardham Yatra in the Secretariat. He directed the Chief Medical Officers posted on the Chardham Yatra route to keep all permanent and temporary medical units fully prepared with necessary medicines, medical equipment and trained human resources. He said that health advisory is being issued in 13 languages to provide easy and clear health information to the devotees. This advisory will be given to the devotees through QR code at hotels, restaurants and parking places on the Yatra route. Also, health awareness will be promoted through large hoardings at major halt places.
Hospital expected to be operational in Kedarnath
It was told in the meeting that the construction work of the 17-bed Kedarnath hospital is in its final stage. The implementing agency has assured to fully operationalize its two floors before the start of the Yatra. This year the hospital is being equipped with modern equipment. These include X-ray, blood test, ECG, multi-parameter and ortho specialist services. The medical units of Phata and footpath on the Kedarnath Yatra route have also been strengthened. An orthopedic specialist is being deployed here. Along with this, there will also be X-ray facility here.
20 medical units will be ready in Chamoli by April 30
20 medical units on the Yatra route of Chamoli district will be fully prepared by April 30. Necessary equipment, medicines and health personnel will be deployed here. Screening points will be operated at Gauchar Barrier, Pandukeshwar Bazaar, Karnaprayag Trauma Center and Panduwakhala as well as Badrinath Dham. Also, all the units of the health department have been prepared for Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham.
Specialist doctors will be deployed from every district
During the Yatra, specialist doctors will be deployed from every district on a rotation basis in 15 days. These include two ortho surgeons, two physicians, five anesthesiologists, five general surgeons, 10 ortho surgeons and specialist doctors appointed by the central government. The health department is also deploying a total of 121 nurses, 26 pharmacists, 309 oxygen beds, six ICU beds, 13 departmental ambulances, 17 ambulances of 108 service, one blood bank and two blood storage units on the Yatra routes.