JAMMU: Secretary Health & Medical Education, Bhupinder Kumar, chaired a meeting to review the preparatory measures for setting up medical care facilities for smooth conduct and management of Shri Amarnathji Yatra 2023 here today.
Additional Chief Executive Officer, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board briefed about past experiences with regard to the conduct of the Annual Shri Amarnathji Yatra.
It was informed that as per past practice, approximately 61 Medical Facilities with more than 440 plus bed capacity adequately maintaining average distance en route have been set up by Health & Medical Education Department, security forces, and NGOs, besides the deployment of 38 ambulances. These health facilities are well equipped with requisite manpower, machinery, and equipment including a sufficient quantity of ventilators and medical oxygen capacity. The other medical arrangements and constraints were also thread-barely discussed.
Secretary emphasized that the Annual Shri Amarnathji Yatra is an important event, in view of the religious and cultural sentiments of the people across the country. As such the provisioning of Health care facilities for pilgrims should be held as the highest priority. Instructions were issued to maintain the availability of men, materials, and resources as per past practices and simultaneously explore augmenting these capacities in the best possible manner.
To have a better understanding and need assessment, instructions were issued to have an analysis of time series data of previous yatras on causalities during the yatra viz a viz age groups and altitude. He also stressed the need for use of the latest technological interventions such as “e-Sanjeevani and e-Consultation” for the yatris.
Further, directions were issued to initiate the process for procurement of machinery equipments, drug, and consumables with the stakeholder departments, and demands be placed to the JKMSCL well in advance.
While appreciating the roles of SKIMS in providing territory care medical facilities during the Annual yatra, Director, SKIMS was asked to create a dedicated hub of 24×7 Super Specialist teleconsultation through e-Sanjeevani at SKIMS, Srinagar, in addition to the already existing facilities in consultation with MD, NHM and Director, Health Services, Kashmir.
Directions were also issued to carefully requisition demand for drugs and consumables to the concerned department in a rational manner. Assessment for manpower should be carefully done keeping in view the duration of the yatra. Addl CEO, SASB was directed to ensure that appropriate accommodations are provided to the medical staff during their duties. A further gap analysis should be conducted for the involvement of NGOs during the Yatra.
Both the Directorates were asked to provide necessary training to the medical staff in handling emergency medical care and use of the latest technological interventions such as “teleconsultation”. Officers concerned in Health and Medical Education Department were asked to take up with concerned ministries for necessary support and handholding.
The meeting was attended by Director, SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar, Mission Director, NHM, J&K, Director Health Services Kashmir, and Joint Director Planning H&ME among other officers of the H&ME Department.
