Victimology of High Altitude Pilgrimage

The high altitude religious excursions are very common in India. There are many such holy sites scattered in the Himalayas like Amarnath, Vaishnodevi, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Kailash Mansarovar, Hemkunth Sahib, etc. Many experience the ill effects of altitude. To avoid fatalities government has made it mandatory to undertake a medical checkup before allowing any such pilgrimage. Due to over enthusiasm, many people try to conceal their illnesses and they face serious emergencies during this pilgrimage, posing a serious problem to the organizers and the authorities. The situation is further aggravated by difficult terrain, lack of infrastructure and acclimatization. A broad discussion is done here to prevent such emergencies and fatalities arising due to pulmonary edema, hypothermia, diabetic ketoacidosis and myocardial infarction.