Reduce response time, use air ambulance in emergency- Radhika Jha
Wednesday, 11 May | PNS | Dehradun
Acting on the reports of the mismanagement and deaths of pilgrims in the Char Dham Yatra the State administration has deployed three senior officers of the Health department as nodal officers in three districts where the Char Dham are located. On Tuesday the Health secretary Radhika Jha appointed director Dr Vinita Shah, director (HQ) National Health Mission (NHM) Dr Saroj Naithani and director Dr Bharati Rana as nodal officers of Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts respectively. These officers would regularly monitor the health services in their respective districts.
On Tuesday the Health secretary also took a review meeting of the Health department. The district magistrates and Senior Superintendents Police of the districts covered under the Yatra also attended the meeting virtually. In the meeting Jha directed all DMs to regularly review the facilities in the Yatra with the chief medical officer of the district. She said adequate deployment of doctors, para medical staff and others have been made for Yatra and necessary preparations have been made. She warned that disciplinary action would be taken on dereliction of duties. Jha said that the effective arrangement of route mobile ambulances should be made so the pilgrims get timely medical help in the case of any emergency. She also stressed on reduction of response time by the department. Jha said that the Health department has issued an advisory for the pilgrims and the administration with the help of the tourism department should ensure proper publicity of the advisory. The secretary directed that the facility of air ambulance should be provided to the pilgrims in case of a medical emergency. She said that the DM and CMO concerned would make arrangements for the air ambulance and the patient should be airlifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh. On the request of the DM of Chamoli, the Health secretary directed the director general of Health Services, Dr Shailja Bhatt to immediately deploy one physician for the district hospital at Gopeshwar. She also directed the principal of Government Doon Medical College (GDMC), Dr Ashutosh Sayana to prepare a roster of 15-15 days for deployment of doctors for the Char Dham Yatra.
The meeting was attended by additional secretary Sonika, Health DG Dr Bhatt, GDMC principal Dr Sayana, additional director Dr Uma Shankar Kandwal, Dr Rajan Arora, J C Pandey and others.
