3 Layer Healthcare Infrastructure For Uttarakhand Char Dham Yatra

Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat, the health minister for Uttarakhand, and Mansukh Mandaviya, the union minister for health and family welfare, met today. When Mr. Rawat visited the Minister, he asked the Union Government for assistance in creating a health and emergency infrastructure for the many pilgrims who travel to the Char Dham yatra each year. He notified the Union Health Minister of the health risks pilgrims encounter while travelling the difficult path as well as the number of pilgrims who have passed away recently as a result of medical issues like stroke. He said that many of these casualties were pilgrims who had co-morbid conditions. "The government is shortly going to construct a strong health support and emergency management infrastructure for the pilgrims embarking," said Mr. Mandaviya following the meeting throughout the nation on the Cham Dham yatra. To make sure the pilgrims are taken care of on their journey from a medical standpoint, this will be a three-layered structure. "The greatest possible healthcare and health emergency infrastructure will be given for the coming pilgrims," Mr. Mandaviya promised, assuring full government assistance. In order to ensure that stroke management and treatment may begin on the route to the medical institution, he informed them that a robust network of cutting-edge ambulances and stroke vans is planned. He stated that these ambulances will be stationed at various locations along the yatra route.

Postgraduate (PG) students from medical schools around the nation are recommended to be deployed as first responders as part of a reinforced healthcare infrastructure, Mr. Mandaviya noted. Dr. Mandaviya explained, "This experience would also operate as a skill- and capacity-building exercise for the PG students. Drones will also be utilised to deliver emergency medications in the yatra's upper altitudes. The northeastern region has shown success using drones to distribute COVID-19 vaccinations. The health minister said that AIIMS-Rishikesh has began a drone delivery and pickup service for medications. AIIMS Rishikesh, Doon Medical College, and Srinagar Medical Colleges are operating as tertiary nodes for specialist referrals as part of the development of a robust referral backend system. This will offer complete clinical care for the health of the pilgrims, he continued. These measures will be backed up by citizen-friendly communication and awareness campaigns, such as websites or portals that inform pilgrims of weather forecasts, the value of acclimatisation, the locations of medical facilities along the route, call centre information, pre-yatra screening results, emergency support numbers, etc.