State sends medical teams to Sabarimalai
BANGALORE: Karnataka government has dispatched ambulances, medical personnel, home guards and police to Kerala to assist the state at the temple-town of Sabarimalai during the coming Makara Sankrama festival.
Disclosing this to Express, Energy Minister Shobha Karandlaje said three ambulances with nine doctors and proportionate number of para-medical staff have been dispatched besides KSRP personnel and home-guards to supplement the Kerala government’s efforts in strengthening the arrangements as well as managing the milling crowd.
“After our chief minister directed me to supervise the arrangements, I got in touch with senior officials of the Kerala government, including the chief secretary and obtained details of their requirements. The Karnataka team is being briefed about the nature of duty,” Shobha added.
When the tragedy occurred in the footsteps of Sabarimalai last year which resulted in the death of hundreds of pilgrims, mostly from Karnataka, Shobha rushed to the spot and supervised the relief and rehabilitation of the victims.
According, to information received from the Kerala government, all Karnataka personnel will camp in three places where crowd management is crucial.
“We have established round-the-clock help counters in these three places with adequate lighting and microphone arrangements to assist the pilgrims, especially those from Karnataka. My only appeal to the pilgrims is to be patient and exercise restrain and not to give heed to rumours,” she added. Scores of officials drawn from a few departments such as PWD, PHE, RDPR and minor irrigation will be dispatched to Sabarimalai in a few days.