Ignoring shrine board’s advisory proves fatal for Amarnath pilgrims
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service
Jammu, July 23
Though the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has been repeatedly requesting the physically weak persons not to trek to the cave shrine, staunch devotees of Lord Shiva are not ready to follow the advisory, resulting in the increase in the death toll with each passing day.
Since June 29 about 85 persons have died en route the cave shrine, the sources said. Doctors say the pilgrims, mostly elderly, die due to pulmonary-cardiac arrest.
With an overwhelming response to the yatra, the number of yatris this year has crossed 5.25 lakh, breaking all the previous records. However, the increase in the number of deaths is troubling the shrine board.
Talking to The Tribune over the phone, RK Goyal, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the SASB, said many pilgrims ignored the health advisories and ended up paying with their lives. “This is an arduous pilgrimage and only healthy people should undertake it. But people ignore our advisories,” Goyal said.
“As the shrine board cannot turn away pilgrims, we have made every possible arrangement for them at the base camps. If someone feels any health problem, he or she can immediately get some treatment,” a shrine board official said.
Even cardiologists had advised the pilgrims to undergo a thorough medical check-up and had asked the elderly and sick pilgrims to avoid the yatra. “It is not possible for the authorities concerned to conduct the medical check-up of every pilgrim and hence the pilgrims should themselves get it done. If someone feels any heart-related problem, he or she should immediately come down,” said Dr Sushil Sharma, a cardiologist at the Government Medical College and Hospital, here.
He added that, “This is a tough terrain and oxygen supply is also less. If the board has been issuing advisories to the pilgrims, they should follow it and the ascent should be slow.”
Dr Sushil said the pilgrims, both young and old, should start some physical workout a few days before embarking on the yatra.
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