The Uttarakhand government has issued an advisory to devotees, planning to undertake the forthcoming Char Dham yatra in the hill state, to have themselves medically examined before setting out on the high altitude journey.
In a letter addressed to his counterparts in states all over the country, Uttarakhand Health Minister Surendra Singh Negi has suggested some precautions to be undertaken by devotees who want to visit Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines in Uttarakhand hills known as Char Dhams.
Negi has appealed to pilgrims to undergo a thorough medical check up before setting out on the journey and keep the doctor's prescription and necessary medicines with them if they suffer from heart diseases, diabetes, breathing problem or other high altitude sicknesses.
In view of the geographical location of these shrines, devotees have been advised not to smoke or consume alcohol during the course of the yatra.
They have also been advised to take the help of doctors available at the health facilities on the yatra route if they suffer from breathlessness, nauseating tendencies or acute headache during the yatra.
Char Dham yatra begins on May 13 and will go on till the first week of November in Garhwal Himalayas. Devotees from across the country and abroad visit these shrines during the six-month period.
