- 8 doctors on duty, one of them retired and three transferred
Bhopal: Devotees planning to undertake the Amarnath Yatra this year are facing significant hurdles in obtaining mandatory medical fitness certificates due to a severe shortage of authorized doctors. Although eight doctors were officially assigned for the task, departmental oversight has rendered the list ineffective—one doctor is retired, and three others have already been transferred.
Currently, only two doctors remain at JP Hospital, and with one on leave, a single doctor is left handling an overwhelming crowd. Each day, over 200 fitness applications are being submitted to just one available physician, causing long waits and growing frustration among pilgrims.
The Amarnath Yatra begins on June 30, and registration—both online and offline—opened on April 15. Offline registration is available at the Jammu & Kashmir Bank in Jawahar Chowk and Punjab National Bank in New Market. The Shrine Board has issued a list of authorized doctors, including names from JP Hospital, Raj Bhavan, and Bairagarh Health Center.
Om Shiv Shakti Seva Mandal Secretary Rinku Bhateja emphasized the urgency of resolving this staffing issue to prevent further inconvenience. With time ticking, the health department is under pressure to address the gap and streamline the certification process for thousands of devotees.
Separate arrangements have been made to avoid any dispute. Three employees will also be deployed outside the doctors’ room. So that both patients and devotees do not face any kind of trouble.
– Dr. Rakesh Srivastava, Civil Surgeon, JP Hospital
