Medical experts brainstormed in the national conference organized at NIM…Hypoxia and Mountain Medicine were discussed

• Balance between climate protection and development is necessary in high Himalayan regions

Uttarkashi/Rishikesh: AIIMS Rishikesh jointly organized a national conference at Nehru Mountaineering Institute, Uttarkashi with the aim of having a comprehensive discussion on the health and diseases of local people, mountaineers, pilgrims, tourists and military personnel deployed at the borders residing in high Himalayan regions. In the two-day conference, medical experts and heads of departments from various institutions across the country emphasized the need for a balance between climate protection and development for a healthy life in the Himalayan states.
This conference held at Nehru Mountaineering Institute (NIM) located in Uttarkashi was jointly organized by the Department of Physiology of AIIMS Rishikesh and NIM. This first two-day national of the Indian Society of Hypoxia and Mountain Medicine was inaugurated by Lieutenant General Velu Nair PVSM, Colonel CV Apte, Colonel HS. Chauhan, Professor Prashant Patil, Professor Latika Mohan and Colonel S.P. Singh jointly. During this conference organized on the theme ‘Man in Himalaya’, experts expressed deep concern that the ever-increasing human interference in the high Himalayan regions in the name of changing environment and development is adversely affecting the health of the people. Colonel C.V. Apte, Colonel H.S. Chauhan and Lieutenant General Velu Nair, along with Professor Latika Mohan, Head of the Department of Physiology, AIIMS, threw light on mountain medicine and hypoxia and emphasized on taking some necessary steps for the availability of oxygen at an adequate level in the Himalayan regions.

On the second day, a panel discussion was held on the major aspects of human activities in the high regions of the Himalayan states, climate protection and balance of development. Moderated by Anup Nautiyal, founder of SDC Foundation Uttarakhand, the panel discussion had panelists like Col Ajay Kothiyal, founder of Youth Foundation, Dr Anuj Singhal, secretary of Swami Vivekanand Health Mission, Dr Mayank Badola, CMO of LBASNAA and Col Shailaja Karki of Aerospace Medicine. The conference, chaired by Prof Latika Mohan, head of Physiology Department, AIIMS Rishikesh and Col Anshuman Bhadoria, principal of Nehru Mountaineering Institute, was also addressed by Col Surinder Pal Singh, Col Rakesh Verma, Prof Zahid Ashraf and Dr Jayanti Pant among other experts. The conference was attended by eminent speakers and emerging researchers from DIPAS, ITBP, Indian Armed Forces, graduate students of Graphic Era, AFMC Pune and young PhD scholars from various institutes.