Elderly air-lifted from Gangasagar Mela

Kolkata: A 60-year-old Ganga Sagar pilgrim who came here from Rajasthan for holy dip fell ill and was airlifted to a city hospital on Saturday.

State transport minister Snehasish Chakraborty supervised the rescue procedure.

The pilgrim has been admitted to SSKM Hospital. She suffered a heart attack and was taken to the health centre near the Ganga Sagar Mela.

As her health deteriorated the doctors there advised to shift the patient to a city hospital.

Incidentally, two pilgrims fell ill on Thursday and were airlifted to a city hospital from Sagar Island. One patient suffered from Trasient Ischemic Attack (TIA).

She was a resident of Bihar while another was a resident of Durgapur. Both these patients had been admitted to MR Bangur hospital. They were the first patients who have been airlifted following ailments this season.

State Transport department launched an air ambulance on Friday for evacuating critically ill pilgrims of Ganga Sagar Mela from Sagar point

to Kolkata.

State government had introduced air ambulance services for the Ganga Sagar pilgrims for the first time in 2020.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is always concerned about the pilgrims and wants to give the best services to the people coming to Gangasagar Mela. Banerjee had visited Sagar Island on January 8 to take stock of the arrangements.