AIIMS-Rishikesh declares all 41 Uttarkashi tunnel workers medically fit, can go home now

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• Dec 1, 2023 | Poonam Nath

The AIIMS-Rishikesh announced that all 41 workers have been pronounced medically healthy...

Digital Desk: The AIIMS-Rishikesh stated on Thursday that all 41 workers who were rescued after being trapped for 17 days in an under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi had been given medical clearance and can return home.

According to the administration, 40 employees have been let go. One worker from Uttarakhand, however, remained at the facility for treatment of a congenital medical problem unrelated to the tunnel collapse.

AIIMS-Rishikesh Medical Superintendent Prof Dr RB Kalia, Head of General Medicine Department, Prof Dr Ravikant, and Dr Narendra Kumar from the hospital administration said in a health bulletin released on Thursday that all 41 workers evacuated from the Silkyara tunnel were admitted to AIIMS-Rishikesh on Wednesday afternoon and "After preliminary investigation, no injuries were found in any of these workers. All of them were subjected to intensive health check-ups for pre-existing medical conditions. Also, their blood tests, kidney, ECG reports, liver function tests and X-ray were done. All the workers are physically normal and clinically stable." 

Prof Dr Ravikant said the Uttarakhand patient who remained in the hospital was diagnosed with Atrial Septal Defect, a congenital defect.

"His physical and vital signs are normal. He has been transferred from the Disaster Ward to the Department of Cardiology for additional testing. This disorder has nothing to do with tunnel collapse," he explained.

The hospital administration stated that all workers had been checked and were allowed to return home. This information has been officially given to the concerned states," the announcement stated.

The workers were advised to contact a doctor at their nearest health clinic after two weeks if necessary.

Workers were rescued from the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarkashi late Tuesday night following an exhausting effort. After spending the night under medical supervision at the Chinyalisaur community health clinic, they were evacuated to AIIMS-Rishikesh on Wednesday for a complete check of their health parameters.

As per reports, In the trapped tunnel, there were fifteen workers from Jharkhand, eight from Uttar Pradesh, five from Odisha, five from Bihar, three from West Bengal, two from Assam, two from Uttarakhand, and one from Himachal Pradesh.