Every day, at least a few hundred visitors climbing up Vindhyagiri under the sun, are paying a visit to the temporary health clinics owing to dehydration-related concerns.
The Health and Family Welfare Department has set up four clinics including one atop the hills. “Normal complaints are dehydration and low blood pressure. These are common among those who climb up so many steps in the hot climate,” said B.R. Yuvaraj, Administrative Medical Officer, Community Health Centre (CHC) at Shravanabelagola.
Each clinic has a doctor, paramedical staff and laboratory technicians. “The clinic at the top of the hills has a physician as well,” he said. The clinics have the facility to provide ORS and saline through IV. The number of patients visiting the CHC has also increased. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was also given ORS at a clinic after he climbed up the hill on Saturday.
“On a normal day, the number of patients visiting the OPD used to be 150. Now, this has gone up to 300 a day,” Dr. Yuvarajsaid.
The staff are also collecting food and water samples regularly. Water samples are collected twice a day at all water releasing points.
Six general dining halls and a dining hall in each township have been set up. “We were worried about the outbreak of an epidemic. So far, there are no reports of this,” he said.
