The Directorate of Health Services Kashmir (DHSK) said on Monday that its medical staff deployed for the Amarnath Yatra had provided medical consultation and treatment to two lakh patients along the Pahalgam and Baltal routes.
“Through meticulous planning, skill-based targeted training and deployment of advanced medical facilities, the DHSK has also significantly reduced the mortality rate.
"The dedication and hard work with which the medical staff performed its duty was commendable throughout the Yatra,” said an official statement.
Director of Health Services Kashmir, Dr Jehangir Bakshi, reviewed the efforts of the Yatra Unit and lauded the support of the Secretary of Health and Medical Education Department, J&K, Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, and the J&K and Central administrations.
Healthcare management and manpower deployed from within and outside J&K were praised for services rendered during the yatra.
The patients included yatris, service providers, personnel from other departments and security personnel.
More than 17,000 persons were provided short-stay admissions, which primarily comprised supplementary oxygen therapy due to high altitude sickness.
As many as 3,807 patients were treated for injuries, while 26,918 were investigated by various diagnostic tests such as laboratory tests, X-rays, ECGs, and USGs.
The directorate reported fewer cardiac events due to increased human resources, drugs, and logistics.
“Early intervention of high altitude illnesses, followed by timely admission to the base camp hospitals outfitted with the necessary medical equipment, made healthcare delivery effective.
"Along this yatra route, 55 medical stations had been set up: six base hospitals, 100-bed hospitals at Baltal and Chandanwari, medical aid centres, and emergency aid centres,” read the statement.
Additionally, twenty-six oxygen booths made available supplemental oxygen continuously, especially at high altitudes.
For this year’s Yatra, a total of 1,415 staff members were deployed in three shifts: 173 specialists, 244 medical officers, and 998 paramedical staff.
Of them, 754 were from DHSK, and 661 were deputed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
The medical staff deployed on this year’s Yatra have been widely appreciated by the yatris, locals, and service providers, including the health department and UT administration, for their service.