Kedarnath pilgrimage nears record footfall as 200 pilgrims airlifted for medical emergencies

DEHRADUN: The pilgrimage to Uttarakhand’s world-famous Kedarnath shrine is heading towards a new record, with more than 16.86 lakh devotees having offered prayers so far this year. But the rising footfall has also brought greater health risks in the high Himalayas, where thin air, heart ailments, chest pain and serious injuries can quickly turn into emergencies.

In the shrine’s remote, high-altitude setting, helicopter evacuations are proving vital in getting critically ill pilgrims to advanced medical care. Patients are first given initial treatment at medical relief posts along the route or at the hospital in Kedarnath. If their condition warrants it, doctors recommend transferring them to a higher medical centre by air.

The same arrangement has helped evacuate patients from Madmaheshwar and other remote parts of the district. Less critical patients are taken to nearby hospitals, as required, through coordination between helicopter services and ambulances.

According to figures for January to September, 19 people were directly rescued by helicopter and taken to higher medical centres. Separately, 200 pilgrims were airlifted for emergency medical care. Officials said the cases included breathing difficulties caused by low oxygen levels, heart problems, chest pain and serious injuries sustained in accidents.

The number of deaths during the pilgrimage season has also been significant. By Thursday, 120 pilgrims had died in Kedarnath alone, while the toll across the Char Dham pilgrimage had reached 263.

“Seriously ill patients are referred to higher medical centres based on their condition and doctors’ advice,” district disaster management officer Nandan Singh Rajwar told TNIE. He said helicopter evacuation arrangements were in place at Kedarnath and Madmaheshwar, while patients elsewhere were taken to nearby hospitals by helicopter or ambulance, depending on their condition.

Heart-related emergencies have been among the main reasons for evacuations this year. On July 11, 25-year-old Puneet, from Amroha, was flown from Kedarnath to Rishikesh after suffering a heart attack. On July 26, 66-year-old Ram Prakash Yadav, from Bihar, was also airlifted to Rishikesh following a heart attack.

Other cases included 55-year-old Jayshree Thakre from Kolhapur, who was evacuated on July 20 with a serious lung condition, and 70-year-old Mithilesh, who was flown from Kedarnath to Rishikesh on June 15 after reporting chest pain.

On May 26, 39-year-old Tejas Rajagopalan from Kerala was taken from the medical relief post at Sonprayag to Rishikesh after developing breathing difficulties. A 29-year-old man, identified as Shiva, was airlifted from Madmaheshwar on May 31 after suffering a heart attack.

Two more critically ill patients were flown from Kedarnath to Rishikesh in September, officials said.

The cases underline the importance of rapid evacuation in a region where altitude, difficult terrain and the distance from advanced hospitals can make timely treatment especially challenging.

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