Jammu, Aug 16, 2025 : After returning from an overnight visit to cloudburst-hit Chisoti in Kishtwar, Union Minister and local MP Dr. Jitendra Singh headed straight to Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu on Saturday to meet the injured and review their treatment.
The Minister announced the setting up of an MP’s Help Desk at GMC Jammu to assist patients and their families with medicines, food, transport, and other requirements in coordination with the hospital administration.
Being a medical professional himself, Dr. Singh personally interacted with the patients, offered medical advice where necessary, and distributed pre-prepared kits containing fruits, food items, and essential supplies.
“All patients are receiving full medical care, and arrangements have also been made for referral outside Jammu if needed. Fortunately, no patient requires shifting at present,” Dr. Singh said.
Out of 67 admitted patients, 15 were cleared for discharge after his review, reducing the number of admitted victims to 52. He noted that most injuries were soft tissue or bone-related, caused by debris or falls during the chaos, and that none were life-threatening.
The Minister praised GMC Principal Dr. Ashutosh Gupta, the medical teams, and nursing staff for their prompt response and also lauded their role in counselling shocked survivors.
He reassured families that the MP Help Desk would function round the clock. “No patient or family should hesitate to seek assistance,” he said.
On regulating pilgrim numbers for the Machail Mata Yatra in future, Dr. Singh said while the IMD had forecast heavy rains, cloudbursts are unpredictable and occur due to local atmospheric factors. He added that casualties were higher as a large number of pilgrims were gathered at a langar site during the tragedy.
“If required, we will also consider regulating numbers in future yatras, based on feedback and expert advice,” he said.
