As millions of devotees prepare for the Amarnath Yatra, beginning on July 3, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has enhanced the insurance cover for registered pilgrims to Rs 10 lakh by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB).
The move offers financial protection in case of accidents during one of India’s most challenging pilgrimages.
But health experts say there is an important gap that every pilgrim should understand before setting off.
The government cover is a group accident insurance policy, designed to compensate for accidental death or disability. It is not a substitute for comprehensive health insurance that pays for hospitalisation and treatment if a pilgrim suffers a medical emergency such as a heart attack or altitude sickness.
The distinction matters because history shows that the biggest threat on the Amarnath route is often not an accident, but illness.
Over the years, reports from previous yatras have shown that a significant proportion of deaths have been linked to cardiac events, high-altitude complications and other medical conditions, rather than falls or road accidents.
During the 2012 pilgrimage, for instance, health-related causes accounted for the majority of fatalities reported during the yatra.
The trek to the cave shrine, located at nearly 3,900 metres, exposes pilgrims to low oxygen levels, steep climbs and unpredictable weather.
Even people who appear healthy can develop acute mountain sickness (AMS), while those with undiagnosed heart disease or poorly controlled diabetes and hypertension face an even greater risk.
Recognising these dangers, every pilgrim is required to obtain a Compulsory Health Certificate before registration. The medical screening excludes people with several serious heart, lung and other chronic illnesses from undertaking the yatra.
However, doctors say passing the fitness test should not create a false sense of security.
A single hospital admission in Jammu and Kashmir, ICU care, emergency angioplasty after a heart attack, oxygen support or evacuation from the mountains can cost several lakhs of rupees. Unless a pilgrim has adequate health insurance, these expenses may have to be paid out of pocket.
YOUR AMARNATH YATRA HEALTH INSURANCE CHECKLIST
What should your health insurance cover before the Amarnath Yatra?
One should choose a policy that includes:
- Emergency hospitalisation
- Heart attack and other cardiac emergencies
- High-altitude illnesses, including AMS, HAPE and HACE
- Oxygen therapy and ICU care
- Air or ground ambulance and emergency evacuation
- Stroke treatment
- Fractures and trauma care
- Pneumonia and severe respiratory infections
- Acute asthma attacks
- Complications of diabetes and hypertension
- Cashless treatment at network hospitals along the yatra route
- Sufficient sum insured, preferably Rs 10 lakh or more for medical expenses
- Preparation for such circumstances can save lives.
Knowing what your health insurance covers before embarking on the pilgrimage can spare you unexpected medical expenses and ensure you receive timely treatment if a health emergency arises.
– Ends
Source link
[ad_3]
