Healthcare Services Extended to Over 2.5 Lakh Pilgrims During Sabarimala Season

Thiruvananthapuram: Healthcare services were extended to 2,56,399 pilgrims at Sabarimala during the recent pilgrimage season, Health Minister Veena George said on Wednesday.

She said treatment was provided to 49,256 pilgrims at Pampa, 10,221 at Neelimala, 12,476 at Appachimedu, 99,607 at Sannidhanam, 19,593 at Charalmedu and 24,025 at Nilakkal. In addition, Emergency Medical Centres operating from Pampa to Sannidhanam and along the forest trekking routes attended to 64,754 pilgrims. Timely emergency care, including CPR, helped keep the death rate to a minimum, the Minister said, while praising the commitment of healthcare workers deployed for the pilgrimage.

Medical teams handled cases ranging from minor ailments to serious conditions such as cardiac arrest. The Minister said the lives of 206 pilgrims who suffered cardiac arrest during the pilgrimage were saved. Prompt medical intervention helped save nearly 79 percent of those affected. While cardiac arrest cases were higher this year compared to the previous season, the number of lives saved was also higher. Treatment was also provided to 131 persons who suffered epileptic seizures.

A total of 891 pilgrims with serious health conditions were referred from Emergency Medical Centres to hospitals at Sabarimala, while 834 others were shifted from the Sabarimala hospital to hospitals outside the hill shrine for advanced care.

The Health Department put in place an extensive medical network for the pilgrimage, the Minister said. The control room at Pampa functioned round the clock, and the services of healthcare workers and staff proficient in multiple languages were ensured. Special arrangements were made at hospitals connected to the pilgrimage. Konni Medical College functioned as the base hospital, while additional beds were set aside for pilgrims at Kottayam Medical College. Beds and medicines were also arranged at major government hospitals along the pilgrimage routes, she said.

Food safety inspections were strengthened during the season, which the Minister said had a positive impact. Services of the AYUSH department were also made available. A wide ambulance network, including the Kaniv 108 service, was deployed to ensure quick response during emergencies.