Excelsior Correspondent
Jammu, July 21: With an aim to sensitise the Amaranth Yatra pilgrims, Dr. Sushil Sharma, HoD Cardiology GMC & SSH Jammu and his team conducted a day long awareness cum medical check up camp at Shri Ram Mandir, Purani Mandi.
The camp was inaugurated by Shamsher Singh Manhas (Member of Parliament) and Mahant Shri 1008 Rameshwar Dass Ji. Dr. Sushil said that religious pilgrims have been going to high altitude pilgrimages long before the trekkers and climbers sojourned in high altitude regions.
“Nearly all journeys to high altitude pilgrimages are characterised by very rapid ascents, leading to high rates of acute mountain sickness. Symptoms commonly observed in these areas include headache, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, fatigue and loss of energy, shortness of breath, problem with sleep and loss of appetite. They usually emerge 12-24 hours of reaching a higher elevation and then gets better with every passing day. These symptoms should be taken very seriously since some altitude problems can develop into fatal illnesses. A related illness, high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), can occur with or without warning symptoms that signal altitude sickness. HAPE causes fluid to enter the lungs. The symptoms such as chest discomfort, shortness of breath, cough that produces a white or pink frothy sputum are manifestation of HAPE. Another dangerous and fatal reaction to high altitude is a condition called high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), in which the brain accumulates extra fluid, swells and stops working properly leading to confusion and coma,” Dr Sharma said.
Elaborating further in specific context of Shri Amarnath Ji cave shrine, he maintained that the shrine is situated at an altitude of about 13000 ft. “Keeping in view such elevation, the trek to the holy cave exposes one to extreme cold, low humidity, increased ultra violet radiations, and reduced air pressure. Due to the difficult terrain and lack of infrastructure, it has been made mandatory for all pilgrims to undergo medical examination and preparedness to prevent complications. Measures such as climb slowly, stay hydrated, intake of more carbohydrates, cover with proper clothing, stay away from alcohol, smoking and medications like sleeping pills must be observed,” he said.
Others, who were instrumental in this activity, included Dr. Dhaneshwar Kapoor, Dr. Akshay Kumar and Dr Kewal Sharma. Paramedics and Volunteers included Kamal Sharma, Raghav Rajput, Gourav Heera, Maninder Singh, Aman Gupta, Gourav Sharma, Nitin Verma, Manav Khurana, Akshay Kumar, Raj Kumar, Rajeev Vohra, Rohit Chalotra and Suresh Baigra.
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