Varanasi: The shrine area of Kashi Vishwanath Dham is now equipped with its own health centre to handle medical emergencies. The primary health centre with two-bed emergency service was inaugurated ceremoniously by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday evening. The KV Dham shrine area is equipped with facility to give primary treatment in cases like cardiac and asthmatic attacks, dehydration and injuries to provide immediate assistance before shifting patient to a higher centre.Yogi inaugurated the centre after offering prayers to Lord Vishwanath on Monday evening. Divisional commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma and KV Dhams chief executive officer Sunil Verma briefed the CM about services and facilities.Talking to TOI on Tuesday, the commissioner said the Arogya Kendra has been established near Gate-4 of KV Dham. The chief medical officer has ensured deployment of doctors and paramedical staff to keep the centre functioning round the clock, he said.Verma said the site near Gate-4 was selected to ensure no pilgrim, whether staying inside KV Dham or outside its campus, faced any problem in accessing it. Not only the pilgrims, KV Dham staff, security personnel, traders and even locals would benefit from the centre.Arogya Kendra has a two-bed emergency service, while health ATM is also installed there. Verma said, Large number of elderly and persons with different ailments reach the temple. Many persons complain nausea or diarrhoea while standing in queues for long time while a large number of devotees also suffer problems caused by allergy like asthmatic attacks because of the crowd.Initially, KV Dham had an ambulance to rush patients to the SPG divisional hospital, which is the nearest major hospital, in case of emergency, said Verma. CMO Dr Sandeep Chaudhary said deployment of doctors and supporting staff had been done to tackle all emergency cases at the centre and to shift patients to divisional hospital or any other higher centre for treatment by ambulance.KV Dham, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2021, has witnessed operationalising of Mumukshu Bhavan (hospice), guest house, food court, multi-purpose hall, tourist facility centre, locker room, security and control room, shops, Ganga Dwar (entry point through river Ganga bank) and others in the past one and a half year. But in view of increasing crowds not only on festivals but even on normal days and large footfall of elderly persons among outstation pilgrims, this centre was much needed at KV Dham. Verma said, In the absence of a permanent facility, we used to seek help of CMO to establish health camp during festivals like the recently concluded Shrawan month, when 1.63 crore devotees thronged KV Dham to offer jalabhishek and other rituals in 59-days.

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