As the condition of Shri Devendra Lal was critical, the Medical Officers of Killar requested Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu to arrange for his airlift. , Photo Credit: PTI
Hours after he was critically injured, 43-year-old Devendra Lal was on Tuesday moved from the snow-clad valley of Pangi in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district to a government hospital in Kangra district, rekindling hope for his otherwise bleak recovery. It looked bleak. ,
Heavy snowfall in the tribal region of Pangi cuts off road connectivity for at least five months from December, disrupting normal life in this part of the hill state year after year.
Mr. Lal, a resident of Dharwas village in Chamba, was found lying on the bed in his house on February 13, with a serious injury on his neck, the cause of which is yet to be ascertained. “We had lost all hope of his survival as the entire area is covered with a thick sheet of snow and most of the roads are closed for vehicular traffic. After that [Devender] His throat was found slit, the villagers came together and carried him on their backs, in turn, to the government hospital in Killar, which is 13-14 km away,” said Chan Lal, elder brother of the patient Hindu,
As the condition of Shri Devendra Lal was critical, the Medical Officers of Killar requested Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu to arrange for his airlift. “Immediately after the request, the Chief Minister acted swiftly and canceled his scheduled visit and sent his official helicopter to airlift the patient,” said an official statement. The patient was brought to Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda in Kanga district on February 14, where he is undergoing treatment.
“With the timely intervention of the Chief Minister, my brother is now getting the necessary medical treatment, which would not have been possible otherwise had we not been able to bring him to this hospital through snow-laden roads.” Chain Lal said.
Meanwhile, the CM has directed the hospital authorities to treat Mr. Devendra Lal free of cost and provide all possible help to him.
Mr. Sukhu said that the government is seriously considering strengthening health facilities in remote and tribal areas of the state. “Adequate doctors will be deployed in such areas so that people living in remote and tribal areas can get adequate medical treatment with best facilities,” he added.
Road connectivity is usually restored in remote, snowy areas of Himachal Pradesh after the snow melts in mid-April.