Villagers carry patient for 10 hours to hospital

With roads closed due to last week’s heavy snowfall, villagers of Hudan in Pangi valley had to carry a critically ill patient on their backs for 10 hours to reach the Civil Hospital in Killar on Wednesday. The patient, Sher Singh, suffered a paralysis attack five days ago, leaving one side of his body immobile. Due to continuous snowfall, the Killar-Hudan-Bhatori road remained closed, preventing his family from seeking timely medical assistance.

As the weather cleared, Sher Singh’s family and fellow villagers embarked on a treacherous journey, carrying him through deep snow. After nearly 10 hours of extreme hardship, they finally reached the Civil Hospital in Killar by late afternoon, where he is currently receiving treatment. Given his critical condition, doctors have referred him to Kullu for advanced medical care. However, with roads still inaccessible, his family has urged the state’s Tribal Development Minister to arrange an emergency airlift under disaster management provisions.

“We left the village at around 6 am on Wednesday, trekking through five to six feet of snow on the Kilaar-Hudan road. It took us nearly 10 hours to reach the hospital,” said Karma Ram, a resident of Hudan-Bhatori.

He requests the government to arrange an airlift under disaster management provisions for the critically ill Sher Singh.

Meanwhile, Dr Raj Kumar, officiating Block Medical Officer, Pangi, said a patient, who suffered paralysis attack was brought from Hudan and he needs to be shifted out of Pangi for better treatment, but the closed roads make it impossible.”

Villagers continue to struggle against harsh weather and inadequate infrastructure, highlighting the urgent need for better emergency response systems in Pangi.

Struggle on snowy paths Residents of Hudan-Bhatori take a critically ill patient to Civil Hospital in Killar.