Lax medical fitness norms lead to Char Dham deaths

DEHRADUN:The failure of the Uttarakhand Government to check health fitness certificates, which was a precondition to undertake Char Dham yatra, has led to deaths of pilgrims who suffered cardiac arrest, pneumonia and even accidents while undergoing arduous mountain treks.

Neena Sharma

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 22

The failure of the Uttarakhand Government to check health fitness certificates, which was a precondition to undertake Char Dham yatra, has led to deaths of pilgrims who suffered cardiac arrest, pneumonia and even accidents while undergoing arduous mountain treks. It was a precondition for pilgrims undertaking the Char Dham pilgrimage to come with health fitness certificates from their respective states but these certificates are not being checked by the Uttarakhand Government while allowing pilgrims to undertake the pilgrimage.

Recently Chief Minister TS Rawat had brushed aside the soaring number of pilgrims who had died since the Char Dham yatra began in the middle of April this year.

“Most of those who died were above the age of 60 years and as your are aware Uttarakhand is also the land where ‘moksha’ is attained,” he said when queried by mediapersons on the number of deaths this year.

Clearly the ambivalent attitude of the government that brushes aside deaths as a pretext for attainment of moksha also puts a big question mark on its sincerity to ensure the safety of pilgrims

A total of 38 pilgrims have died while undertaking the Char Dham pilgrimage, since it began in April. A total of 15 pilgrims died en route to Yamunotri, 13 to Kedarnath and seven en route to Badrinath.

Medical officials believe whatever efforts have to be made towards making the fitness certificates mandatory should not be halfhearted. “It has to be done compulsorily and the onus should rest on the states from where the pilgrims belong and come from,” Dr DS Rawat, officiating DG said.

Though after the 2013 natural disaster, efforts were made for making mandatory biometric registration and fitness tests, but this was not followed with vigour.

“At that point in time, the government was keen to revive the yatra and did not want to deter pilgrims from undertaking the yatra by making this a big issue. So, the plan was not followed with vigour. But, it is time that we pursue the matter again,” said former DG Dr RP Bhatt.

He said the government could start by issuing to states to make the pilgrims embarking on the yatra well versed with the nature of the trek and why it was essential to keep the medical condition in mind before embarking on the yatra.

Boulder falls on bus: 5 pilgrims killed

Dehradun: Five women pilgrims were killed and six others injured when a boulder fell on a bus in which they were travelling in at Lohali, near Kakarighat in Almora district, today. According to officials, the pilgrims were returning to Kotdwar from Bageshwar, after visiting the famous Bageshwar temples. Police personnel with the help of locals launched a rescue operation and the injured were admitted to a nearby hospital. TNS