Char Dham Yatra service to be part of PG medicos' DRP

Ahmedabad: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has integrated postgraduate medical students' voluntary healthcare services for the forthcoming Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand within the District Residency Programme (DRP). This decision addresses the anticipated surge in healthcare requirements due to increased pilgrim numbers, sources said.

DRP enables postgraduate medical students to deliver healthcare in underserved, distant locations, and provides insights into public health challenges. The Char Dham Yatra's high-altitude environment presents distinctive medical challenges, including altitude-related illnesses, fluid depletion, and heart conditions, contrasting with typical urban healthcare settings. This creates substantial practical learning prospects for medical practitioners under training, the sources added.

Responding to Uttarakhand's request for additional medical assistance during the yatra, numerous postgraduate doctors nationwide have offered their services. State nodal officers will work alongside Uttarakhand's healthcare administrators to assign these postgraduate volunteers appropriately. This joint initiative between national medical bodies and regional administration seeks to deliver accessible, quality healthcare to pilgrims while fostering community-oriented medical education.

NMC has directed all states regarding postgraduate medical student deployment under the DRP, particularly focusing on understanding pilgrim health issues in high-altitude areas. The commission has emphasised how this practical experience will benefit PG doctors' training. Annually, approximately 40,000 to 50,000 pilgrims from Gujarat join the Char Dham Yatra, frequently experiencing health complications due to severe weather and elevation.

Gujarat's implementation level and doctor deployment numbers for this healthcare initiative will be announced soon.