Kerala to provide medical facilities for Sabarimala pilgrims

PTI Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Monday assured elaborate medical facilities, including cath labs, emergency medical centres, and oxygen parlours for Sabarimala pilgrims, with the annual pilgrimage season beginning at the hill temple by mid-November. The Konni Medical College in Pathanamthitta district, where the Lord Ayyappa shrine is located, would operate as a base hospital, and necessary medical facilities would be provided there for the same, she said.

Emergency cardiology treatment and cath lab facilities would be ensured at Pathanamthitta General Hospital, the minister said in a statement after chairing a high-level meeting. Speciality doctors from the Health and Medical Education Departments would be deployed for the service of Sabarimala pilgrims during the pilgrimage season, she said. Dispensaries with expert facilities would be operated at various centres, including Sannidhanam (temple complex), Pamba, Nilakkal, and so on, the minister detailed. Stating that the hospitals in Pamba and Nilakkal would be operational from November 1, she said the other facilities would become functional from November 15.

All hospitals in the region would have facilities like defibrillators, ventilators, cardiac monitors, and so on, she said, adding that full-fledged lab facilities would be available at Pamba and Nilakkal. Both Pamba and Sannidhanam would have operation theatres also, the minister said, adding that special treatment facilities would be arranged in over 15 hospitals for Sabarimala pilgrims. Emergency medical centres and oxygen parlours would be set up in 15 selected points along the trekking route from Pamba to Sannidhanam. On the traditional forest route, four emergency centres would be set up, George added.

The health minister said steps would also be taken to check the spread of any contagious diseases in the region during the time of the pilgrimage. Senior health officials, including the additional chief secretary, health director, medical education department director, Pathanamthitta district collector, and others attended the meeting chaired by the minister.