Braving odds, Pune health dept saves life of a 65-year-old pilgrim

Dr Radhakishan Pawar, deputy director of health services, said, the public health department this year has made adequate arrangements to provide outdoor and indoor healthcare facilities for the pilgrims

A 65-year-old pilgrim from Hingoli, Kanhopatrabai Padhya, suffered a hypovolemic shock and respiratory arrest at the Alandi temple on June 27.

A staff of over 6,368 health workers and doctors is stationed round the clock for the palkhi duty. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The public health department team which has set up multiple temporary and permanent health clinics for the warkaris learnt about the incident and rushed to the spot.

Dr Nagnath Yempalay, district civil surgeon, said, “The team members provided emergency medical aid on the spot and took the patient to Alandi Rural Hospital. The patient was initially diagnosed with hypotension and went into shock and respiratory distress.”

As per officials the woman was intubated at the Alandi Rural Hospital and was put on ventilator support. She was diagnosed with diarrhoea, hypovolemic shock, respiratory arrest, and hypocalcemia with sepsis. After two hours she was shifted to Aundh District Hospital (ADH) on ventilator support.

The doctors at ADH said she was provided the required medical attention on time and treated successfully with the help of IV fluids, antibiotics and other medicines. For two days she was unconscious and on June 30, the ventilator support was removed.

On July 1, the patient was shifted from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and has recovered. She will be discharged on July 8, they said.

Dr Radhakishan Pawar, deputy director of health services, said, the public health department this year has made adequate arrangements to provide outdoor and indoor healthcare facilities for the pilgrims.

“Till now more than 3.14 lakh pilgrims have availed the treatment facilities which includes, 1,446 indoor patients,” he said.

“A staff of over 6,368 health workers and doctors is stationed round the clock for the palkhi duty. We have 707 ambulances and 68 ICU departments with a capacity of five beds each,” said Pawar.