The health department has put in place extensive arrangements for the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage season, which officially begins on Monday.
As part of the preparations, a 24/7 control center was opened in Pampa. In coordination with the Travancore Devaswom Board, emergency health centers have been set up along the tourist route from Pampa to Sannidhanam.
The Government Medical College, Konni, will function as a base hospital, while emergency cardiology and cath-laboratory services have been arranged at the Pathanamthitta General Hospital. Ambulance services equipped to handle cardiac emergencies will be deployed along with a special ambulance service operating between Sannidhanam and Pampa.
Temporary dispensary
Health Minister Veena George said all hospitals will be equipped with defibrillators, ventilators and heart monitors. Fully equipped laboratories will function at Nilackal and Pampa and operation theaters will function at both Pampa and Sannidhanam. A temporary dispensary will also function at the Pandalam Valiya Koyickal Temple.
The Food Safety Department has created special squads for inspections and health cards are mandatory for all employees of food outlets.
Taking serious note of the rise in cases of amoebic meningitis in the state, pilgrims have been advised to take extra care not to get water in their nose while bathing.
Meanwhile, district collectors of Kottayam and Pathanamthitta have fixed the prices of vegetarian meals in hotels in both districts to prevent blight during the pilgrimage season.
In Pathanamthitta, road safety work is in final stage. The Public Works Department and Kerala Water Authority have completed all the arrangements. Sanitation squads have been deployed in the pilgrimage zone and the Vadasserikkara panchayat has been instructed to regulate the movement of cattle along the roads leading to the hill shrine to prevent accidents.
Swami Chatbot
‘Swami Chatbot’, launched by the district administration to help devotees, will soon be operational. An integrated online portal called Sabari has also been activated for all government departments to coordinate emergency operations, Pathanamthitta District Collector S. Premkrishnan said.
About 1,000 sanitation workers under Vishudhi Sena have already started sanitation work in the pilgrimage zone. Integrated Command Centers were also opened at Nilackal and Pampa to coordinate emergency operations.
Published – 15 Nov 2025 20:07 IST
