Uttarakhand: Special focus on health screening of people above 50 years of age coming for Chardham Yatra

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], May 14 (ANI): Uttarakhand Health Secretary Dr R Rajesh Kumar on Tuesday said that there has been a special focus on health screening of people above 50 years of age coming for the Chardham Yatra.
The officials and members of the Dehradun chapter of the Public Relations Society of India met the Secretary of Health Dr R. Rajesh Kumar at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
On this occasion, the Secretary of Health said that the increasing number of pilgrims in the currently ongoing Chardham Yatra has emerged as a challenge. In such a situation, the Health Department is providing all facilities including health checkups to the devotees.
"Last year during the Yatra period, health checkup of about seven and a half lakh people above 55 years of age was done. This time our target is to conduct as many health checkups as possible of people above 50 years of age. This time 184 doctors have been deployed on the Yatra route. Last year 140 doctors were deployed. These include 44 specialist doctors," Kumar said.
He said that last year for the first time, along with the doctors deployed in the Yatra, an honorarium was arranged for the para-medical staff through the National Health Mission (NHM). This arrangement is being continued this time also.
The Health Secretary said that there has always been a lack of super speciality centres on the Chardham Yatra route. In view of this, a cath lab has been started in Srinagar Medical College this time. Along with this, new super speciality centres are being encouraged to provide their services through the 'You Quote We Pay' scheme.
"SOPs related to the Yatra have been issued in a total of 11 languages. Along with sending these SOPs to the secretaries of all the states, they are also being distributed to the pilgrims coming on the Yatra in their language through the staff so that they do not face any kind of problem. In this SOP, information has been given about what to do and what not to do during the Yatra," the Secretary of Health said.
Kumar said that a medical point has been set up for the first time in Janaki Chatti. PSRI has an important role in the field of public relations. It can make an important contribution to giving information about various schemes and programs for public awareness.
He said that the organization should be expanded from the district to the block level, this will not only make it meaningful but PSRI will also become such a network that will reach every person. (ANI)