Over 200 devotees fell unconscious amid intense crowding during the Rath Yatra festivities in Puri, prompting a large-scale emergency medical response from the state government.
Some individuals also sustained injuries during the chariot-pulling rituals.
To ensure immediate medical attention, the Odisha Health Department collaborated with private hospitals and deployed free emergency care services. Temporary primary health centres have been set up at strategic points such as the northern gate of Srimandir, near the Gundicha Temple, and the Puri bus stand.
Private facilities, including super-speciality hospitals like Hi-Tech Medical College, have joined hands with the state to deliver critical care on-site. These emergency units are catering not only to the devotees but also to temple servitors and officials involved in the festival.
Many affected individuals were admitted to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital and the temporary Hi-Tech Medical Centre near Srimandir. These pop-up hospitals will remain operational till the Niladri Bije ritual concludes, ensuring round-the-clock healthcare coverage during the Yatra.
In a testament to responsive governance and coordinated public-private partnership, the Rath Yatra 2025 highlights both the challenges of mass pilgrimage management and the state’s swift mobilisation of essential services.
