Darjeeling, April 1 -- While in the high reaches of Sandakphu (3636m), one can only rely on the Sashashtra Seema Bal (SSB,) in case of medical emergencies with the nearest medical facility 39 km away at Sukhiapokhari-a distance that too in treacherous terrain, too far in times of medical emergencies.
Time and again the SSB has come to the rescue of ailing tourists, saving many lives.
Diptodip Sinha, from Sinthi More, North 24-Parganas, talking to the Millennium Post stated: "We were 10 of us in the group visiting Sandakphu. While some of us were trekking up, the elderly took vehicles. Ratna Sen Gupta ( age approx 54) complained of illness from Kalpokhari." SSB sources stated that at around 8pm on Monday the staff of the GTA Lodge arrived at the SSB Border Out Post at Sandakphu requesting help. They stated that Ratna Sen Gupta was having chest pain,vomiting and certain difficulty in breathing.
Soon Bop commander SI Pankaj along with medics Jitendra Kumar and others visited the hotel to check for the tourist's health . First aid was administered by the medics and her oxygen level was also measured which was 85 per cent sp02 .
"As our oxygen cylinder was empty, the SSB also administered oxygen after which she felt better. She was then rushed to Maneybhanjang. At present her condition has improved. If the SSB would not have come to our aid we would be in grave trouble," added Diptodip expressing gratitude for the SSB. Initially, a trekking destination, with a motorable road leading to Sandakphu, it is fast evolving into a mass tourist destination, with the allure of viewing the magnificent Himalayan peaks, including Mount Everest and the Kanchenjunga, attracting huge number of tourists, mostly novice about mountains and high altitude destinations, making them vulnerable. The year 2024 alone saw many tourist deaths in Sandakphu.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.