55 pilgrims dead in 1st month of Char Dham yatra

Dehradun: As many as 53 pilgrims have lost their lives due to health-related complications since the Char Dham yatra began on April 19, according to the latest report issued by State Emergency Operation Centre of Uttarakhand. Doctors deployed on yatra duty said most of the pilgrims who died were above 55 years of age and had underlying comorbidities. In many cases, pilgrims either had insufficient time to acclimatise to the harsh weather conditions of the high-altitude terrain or were suffering from lifestyle-related diseases. During the corresponding period last year, 65 fatalities were reported, including deaths linked to both medical conditions and accidents. Similar to previous years, doctors monitoring pilgrims’ health said a majority of the deaths this year were associated with cardiac complications.Of the total fatalities, 30 were reported on the Kedarnath route, followed by 10 in Badrinath, eight in Yamunotri and seven on the way to Gangotri. So far, around 14.8 lakh pilgrims have visited the shrines, including nearly six lakh at Kedarnath, 3.8 lakh at Badrinath and around 2.4 lakh each at Yamunotri and Gangotri, the report stated.This year, the increasing number of children being brought on the pilgrimage by families has also emerged as a cause for concern. Officials said at least two children were among those who died due to health-related complications. Officials said “the growing trend of families bringing children on the yatra has added pressure on the system managing the smooth flow of pilgrims”. According to official data, around 1,000 children were brought on the pilgrimage by their families during the first fortnight of the yatra.Strongly discouraging parents from bringing young children on the pilgrimage, a doctor deployed on the yatra route, said, “Earlier, our focus was mainly on cardiologists and pulmonologists, but now attention has also shifted to paediatricians because there is a rising trend of children coming on the pilgrimage.”Explaining the medical risks involved, Dr Sunita Tamta, director general of medical health and family welfare, Uttarakhand, said, “Like elderly individuals and patients with comorbidities, children below the age of five fall under the high-risk category because they are more vulnerable to hypoxia caused by lower oxygen levels at high altitudes, as well as hypothermia due to cold weather conditions. Their immune systems are still developing and their bodies take longer to regulate temperature effectively.”Tamta added that pilgrims should strictly follow health advisories and spread the pilgrimage over at least seven days instead of attempting to complete it within three to four days.“These shrines involve extensive trekking and exposure to sub-zero temperatures. Pilgrims should undertake the yatra only after obtaining medical clearance from their doctor. Those in the high-risk category must carry prescribed medicines and energy supplements such as dry fruits, and should rest for at least 15 minutes after every hour of trekking to allow the body adequate time to recover and acclimatise,” she added.She further said that health teams had been fully mobilised across the Char Dham routes. “Around 1,500 medical professionals are being deployed during the six-month-long pilgrimage, including 228 specialist doctors, 532 MBBS doctors and 792 paramedical staff across 47 permanent health facilities, 33 screening kiosks and 25 medical relief points along the routes in Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts, where the four shrines are located,” she added.Till Monday evening, over 3 lakh pilgrims had undergone health screening. Of these, 11,810 were found to have comorbidities, while 344 were referred through ambulances and 36 through heli-ambulance services, according to health department data.