SHRAVANABELAGOLA: The Karnataka Government and Sri Digambar Jain Math of Shravanabelagola are gearing up to provide medical assistance to nearly 30 lakh pilgrims and tourists expected to visit this pilgrim centre for the Mahamastakabhisheka.

The State Health Department will depute personnel and provide equipment to the Government hospitals in Shravanabelagola and Chennarayapatna.

According to State Nodal Officer for Mahamasthakabhisheka Mahotsava B.N. Dhanya Kumar, two X-ray machines along with technicians had been deputed from Shimoga to Shravanabelagola and Chennarayapatna, and steps were being taken to set up blood storage centres. Two laboratory technicians would be deputed for the purpose from February 1 to 28.

In view of two deaths recorded during the Mahamastakabhisheka in 1993, owing to heart ailments, both the State Government and the mutt have decided against taking any risk. Sri Digambara Jain Mutt has drafted the services of a Bangalore-based cardiac group, Vivus, to ensure state-of-the art cardiac care for pilgrims.

According to Vivus Group chairman and managing director and cardiologist S.S. Ramesh, the group will have a fully equipped ambulance at the base of Vindhyagiri Hills acting as an intensive care unit, a virtual hospital on wheels.

The group will provide the cardiac care at the base and top of the Vindhyagiri Hills. At the base, it will also provide the entire range of services, inclusive of an intensive care unit with emergency monitoring facilities such as ventilators, defibrillator, pacing, and emergency medications such as streptokinase and other drugs. The group's mobile cardiac catheterisation laboratory, first of its kind in Asia, wherein procedures such as angiogram, angioplasty can be done in a mobile set up will also be parked at the base.

The cardiac facility at the base will have five beds with a specialist, an assistant, six nurses and other paramedical staff and technicians and will function round the clock.

The facility at the top of the hills will have two beds with monitors and defibrillator, oxygen and emergency medication. Stretchers fitted with portable monitors and oxygen with paramedics standing by will become operational from February 1 to February 28. The facility at the top will comprise one specialist, three nurses and two paramedics, operating from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. every day.

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