Staff to work in 4 shifts, bed capacity nearly 350
Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, June 30: As the Annual Amarnath Yatra begins, the Health Department today gave the final touches to the setup that has been established in the form of a Control Room which will monitor the necessary functioning of the medical camps and hospitals and ensure effective communication throughout the yatra period.
In this regard, the officials told Excelsior that the round-the-clock Control Room set up at the office of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) in Srinagar at the Old Secretariat, has been made operational.
They said that those who have been assigned the duties will keep track of the functioning of the healthcare setup, which has been set up at the base camps as well as along the Yatra track.
“The Control Room will collect and analyze information across multiple parameters in real-time for smooth conduct and management of emergencies during the course of the Yatra,” officials at DHSK said.
They further noted that multiple formats for daily reporting have been circulated among the concerned officials to ensure that the camp-wise work done, infrastructure, staff attendance, injuries, and referrals are timely reported.
This, the officials said, will enable an appropriate response without any delay, with a focus on making the availability of services hassle-free and seamless, and facilitating the pilgrims in case they need medical aid and attention.
To ensure that the setup is up and ready to work, Director of Health Services, Kashmir (DHSK), Dr Mushtaq Ahmed Rather, also visited the control room to inspect the preparedness.
During the visit, he stressed the importance of maintaining proactive channels of communication with the medical camps established along the route to the Holy Cave.
Dr. Rather said that while the Yatra 2023 is set to commence and the Department has geared up to provide medical facilities to the pilgrims, all the necessary facilities have been put in place. He also took a virtual review meeting with all the camp in-charges of the yatra and sought feedback from them about the facilities in place.
It is to be noted that the staff deputed for Yatra duty has undergone thorough training at the Regional Institute of Health & Family Welfare (RIHFW), Dhobiwan, where they are trained to handle medical emergencies at spots situated at higher altitudes.
The officials overseeing the yatra preparations said that this year the bed capacity has been increased. The capacity has gone from 100 beds on each side to nearly 350 beds on each side. Also, to ensure hassle-free and effective healthcare services to the yatris, the staff will work 4 different shifts. This is a fresh step taken this year by the Health Department.
Furthermore, in order to complement the services of the Health Department, various states will also depute healthcare staff for Yatra duty. Additionally, a number of specialists from different top hospitals in the country will be deputed for special duties throughout the Yatra period.
Officials said that keeping in view the extended Yatra period of 60 days, the facilities and arrangements have been strengthened accordingly. “We are expecting an increased number of pilgrims this year, and the arrangements have been made to cater to the footfall.”
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