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| Blaming natural causes for 86 Yatri deaths is medically unsound | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, July 17: The deaths of 86 Yatris during this year's Yatra to the Shri Amarnathji Cave Shrine have not only attracted media attention, but also of the highest court in the country.
Taking suo moto cognizance of the reported deaths of Yatris this year the Supreme Court has issued notices to Union Home Ministry, Union Health Ministry, Jammu and Kashmir Government and the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB). These deaths have been reported as 'deaths due to natural causes' by the State Government. These deaths of Yatris have been blamed on high altitude sickness, lack of proper acclimatization and already ailing conditions of the Yatris.
In many cases it has been argued by the authorities that the fitness certificates furnished by the Yatris have been issued without a proper medical checkup.
There is no doubt about the fact that lack of proper acclimatization and high altitude sickness are two major causes for the deaths those have recently occurred during this year's Amarnath Yatra.
Yet, the lack of medical facilities cannot be ruled out since patients with breathlessness, cardiac symptoms and high altitude sickness are emergencies and those healthcare agencies should be able to deal normally and without allowing fatalities to occur.
The State Government has issued statements and so has the SASB that medical facilities along the twin tracks of Baltal and Pahalgam have been augmented. The Governor, N.N. Vohra has taken a series of meetings of senior officials to ensure that no laxity occurs on account of healthcare facilities for the pilgrims.
Oxymeters, oxygen cylinders, emergency medicines, specialist doctors etc. have been deployed on medical camps along the Yatra routes. There is very little chance for a patient reporting with high altitude sickness to die if adequate medical attention is available to the sick. There is little doubt that something is lacking with regard to proper healthcare for the Yatris and this is one of the reasons for the alarming number of deaths occurring during this year's Yatra.
The Supreme Court has posed questions which are to be answered by the concerned agencies who are responsible for the safety and security of the Yatris.
Nothing could be more misleading than asserting that because 107 Yatris died during last year's Yatra there is nothing unusual about 86 deaths of Yatris occurring this year. Given the value of human life not even a single death is acceptable and that is the basic human right of all citizens of the country.
Without trying to sit either on prestige or trying to pass the buck and responsibility the State Government and the SASB must gear up and find out what should be done or perhaps what has not been done to ensure that such a loss of human life does not recur. |
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