After screening and a health checkup at Chiniyalisaur Community Health Centre, 41 workers who were successfully rescued from the Silkyara Tunnel are healthy, said Dr Bimlesh Joshi, Nodal Officer Health of Rescue operation.
“All 41 workers are currently healthy; their health screening has been done twice after the rescue, first inside the tunnel last night and second this morning. A team of 18 doctors at the Community Health Centre of Chinyalisaur has been monitoring his health since last night, out of which 10 are GDMOs and the remaining 8 are specialists, which include all types of specialists. Apart from this, there is a paramedical staff. There is a total staff of around 50, he said that since last night, all 41 labourers have been given a balanced diet, which includes paneer, boiled egg, kheer, roti, vegetables and rice” Dr Bimlesh Joshi said.
“Preparations are underway to send everyone to AIIMS Rishikesh; everyone will be sent by Chinook helicopter, and their family members can be sent by ambulance or any other vehicle. Although the workers do not need to be admitted to the hospital, they will be kept under safe-side observation,” Bimlesh Joshi added.
According to Government sources, all the workers admitted to the health centre are being given food as per the doctors’ advice.
#WATCH | A rescued worker at Chinyalisaur Community Health Centre shares a video of his fellow workers who were brought out safely from the Silkyara tunnel after 17 long days pic.twitter.com/DRBSwNrQ4o
— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2023
Earlier, after the successful rescue of 41 workers from the Silkyara tunnel on November 28 evening, Dr Pravin Kumar, Health Director of Garhwal Division, in charge of the rescue operation, highlighted that constant communication with the trapped workers helped in maintaining their mental health stability.
Pravin Kumar mentioned that both Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the State Health minister were consistently present at the site, and health teams kept boosting the morale of the trapped workers.
“Our State Health Minister and Chief Minister were constantly present here at the tunnel site. From the very first day, our teams were trying to boost their morale and were trying to establish contact with the trapped workers,” he said.
“Whatever food items can be sent through the pipe were being sent, and our teams kept boosting their morale, and this is why the workers are in good mental state after being rescued,” he added.
When asked about the health challenges workers faced while they were trapped, Dr. Pravin Kumar said, “The workers were not diagnosed with any major ailments. Some of the workers faced difficulty passing urine and allergies, and we treated them accordingly. Water, juice, and food were constantly provided to the workers.”
International tunnelling expert Arnold Dix, said on November 29 that though there were multiple challenges in the rescue operation, the combined sense of purpose to save the 41 people weighed out all the challenges.
#WATCH | International tunnelling expert, Arnold Dix offers prayers before local deity Baba Bokhnaag at the temple at the mouth of Silkyara tunnel after all 41 men were safely rescued after the 17-day-long operation pic.twitter.com/xoMBB8uK52
— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2023
On being asked about the kinds of challenges faced during the rescue operation, Arnold Dix said, “I think it would be better to say, what kind of challenges didn’t we face? And what we didn’t face was a combined sense of purpose to save the 41 people. That’s the challenge we didn’t face. We don’t have that in many places. Everyone knew we were bringing those men home.”
#WATCH | Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) tunnel rescue | On the successful rescue of all 41 workers from the Silkyara tunnel, international tunnelling expert, Arnold Dix says, "…With a clear mind and a warm heart, anything is possible. The impossible is possible, and that's what we… pic.twitter.com/BjXMepAcPU
— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2023
Speaking about the mantra of success for the operation, the International tunnelling expert said that they stayed calm and knew exactly what they wanted.
“We worked as a wonderful team. And when I say a wonderful team, the best engineers here in India, the army, their engineers, the best I’ve ever worked with, all the agencies, the federal authority, the state, all the people, it was just a joy. A joy to be a part of this successful mission,” he said.
#WATCH | Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) tunnel rescue | On the successful rescue of all 41 workers from the Silkyara tunnel, international tunnelling expert Arnold Dix says, "It's been my honour to serve, and as a parent, it's been my honour to help out all the parents getting their… pic.twitter.com/3A7rqf02VR
— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2023
Further speaking about his temple visit after the success of the rescue mission, Dix said that he made a promise to God to say thank you for the safe rescue and evacuation of all trapped workers.
“If you haven’t noticed, I think we have just witnessed a miracle,” he said.
The International tunnelling expert further reacted to the Australian Prime Minister congratulating him and the Indian authorities for the successful rescue operations and said, “Thank you, Mr Prime Minister. But as an Australian, sir, if you’re watching, it’s been my privilege and my pleasure to show that we’re fantastic at not just cricket, I love cricket, but we do other things as well, including tunnel rescue.”
#WATCH | Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) tunnel rescue | On Australian PM Anthony Albanese's congratulatory message on the successful rescue of all 41 workers from the Silkyara tunnel, international tunnelling expert, Arnold Dix says, "Thanks, Mr Prime Minister… It's been my privilege… pic.twitter.com/wRnGqE6gNq
— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2023
Dix, while speaking to media, further said that this rescue was different as compared to other rescue operations he has done, as no one got hurt during this operation, which is usually not the case in rescue operations.
“It’s pretty different. This was just fantastic,” he said.
#WATCH | Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) tunnel rescue |On worshipping God daily and the challenges, international tunnelling expert, Arnold Dix says, "I didn't ask anything for me, I asked for 41 people out there… and for all the people helping… We couldn't get anyone hurt…" pic.twitter.com/S7aMBEiktz
— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2023
The international tunnelling expert, while speaking of his liking for India, said that he really enjoyed the Indian vegetarian food. “The Northern Indian vegetarian food is so yummy, I reckon I could go to Northern India. Your food is fantastic. I can’t cook like that in Australia. The best vegetarian food ever,” Dix said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to the rescued men over the phone. The Mammoth rescue operation was launched after a portion under-construction tunnel from Silkyara end caved in on November 12 trapping 41 workers.
Of the 41 men, 15 are from Jharkhand, two are from Uttarakhand, five are from Bihar, three are from West Bengal, eight are from Uttar Pradesh, five are from Odisha, two are from Assam, and one is from Himachal Pradesh.
(with inputs from ANI)
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