Srinagar, Sept 08: This year has seen a decline in yatra casualties, thanks to the state-of-the-art healthcare facilities that the Health Department Kashmir had established on both Baltal and Pahalgam Amarnath yatra routes.
According to data from the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir, this year has recorded 31 yatri deaths, which is lower than the 53 deaths reported in 2022 by the DHSK.
The 31 deaths include 18 reported at Baltal, 6 at Pahalgam, seven in other deaths category which include drowning (2), shooting stones (1), mudslide (2), and during arrival (2).
As per the figures, this year 255,564 yatris were seen in the OPDs of the health facilities while a total of 1,291 patients were admitted. The figures said 29319 medical investigations, were conducted throughout the Yatra which is held for 60 day from July to August end.
The health department had established 55 medical facilities which included six base hospitals, 11 medical aid centres, 12 emergency aid centres, and 26 oxygen booths. It only this year that 15 more health facilities were upgraded on routine sites.
Spokesperson Directorate of Health Services Kashmir, Dr Mir Mushtaq said this year the healthcare arrangements were more elaborated in order to limit the number of causalities.
“It is a good thing that the causalities have come down. Specialist doctors were put in service, more oxygen and emergency medical facilities were extended at each and every centre. Last year, unfortunately, there was also a cloudburst incident which had claimed some lives. However, this year it was incident-free yatra and deaths came down,” he said.
Mir said in coming years they are going to add more facilities and are adding several interventions to further ensure that there are zero casualties during the annual yatra.
It was this year only, the health department Kashmir introduced horse ambulances, a unique idea to provide accessible health care to yatris during the annual yatra. The pony ambulance was an innovative method to handle critical yatris/patients at both sides.
“Previously it would take time to shift patients from one facility to another and by this move patients were treated instantly and it proved successful at the mountains,” he said.
Officials said they can’t make health facilities everywhere so between two facilities this was the only appropriate option since the place is at high altitude.
“In the future, we want to upgrade it further and we will train the horse riders in Basic Life Support (BLS) training so that they are also able to manage the critically ill patients,” he said.
As per officials, the Yatra is held in peak summer but because of very high altitudes the weather remains unpredictable as temperatures can fall, which is deleterious to health.
Officials associated with Yatra said there are some emergencies related to high altitude caused by reduced air pressure and lower oxygen levels at high altitudes including high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and High altitude cerebral edema (HACE).
The Spokesperson said unless immediately managed, these illnesses could be fatal and that it had made arrangements to manage emergencies including high-altitude emergencies.
Each year, two 100 bedded DRDO hospitals are established at both Chandanwadi and Balthal sides that have all facilities available for the pilgrims.
“Earlier, casualties were reported due to cardiac events. However, over the years, we took several measures like posting of cardiologists and making available intensive care units at Baltal and Chandanwadi and other critical care facilities at base hospitals,” Mir said.
“It is a major task to operate an ICU at such a place with critical care specialists. The DRDO hospitals had piped oxygen available along with liquid oxygen,” he said.
