Ayodhya, Feb 13 (IANS) As millions of devotees continue to observe devotion in Ayodhya, Shiv Yog Foundation and Six Sigma Healthcare have joined hands to provide free medical and emergency services to the pilgrims.

Together, the organisations have set up 20 free healthcare booths across crowded sites in Ayodhya and have served nearly 30,000 devotees. The ambulance and healthcare services were inaugurated by Shiv Yog Acharya Ishan Shivanand a day before the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ram Temple in Ayodhya. They have been serving pilgrims since January 10, 2024, and are seeing an average daily patient count of 1,500.

Due to challenging terrains, long-distance travels, harsh weather, and inadequate transportation and sanitation services -- especially when undertaken on foot -- devotees are likely to face increased physical and mental health complexities, notably for individuals with pre-existing conditions like anxiety, heart disease, hypertension, skin infections, asthma etc.

This collaboration between Shiv Yog Foundation and Six Sigma Healthcare intends to “support the wellbeing of devotees on their Teerth Yatras with the needed medical services free of cost at any time, weather, location or situation.”

The services are providing access to routine medical check-ups, medical supplies, 24x7 emergency care, ambulance services, etc. through 20 health booths and hospitals at sites including Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Complex, Shri Ram Katha, Sarayu River Bank - Guptar Ghat, Shri Hanuman Cave/Nepali Temple, Nav Ayodhya among others.

To ensure optimum medical care standards, the team has deployed medical professionals, including doctors, paramedics and nursing staff trained by the army and paramilitary forces.

The initiative is adopting an evidence-based approach to medical treatments under the guidance of mental health researcher Shiv Yog Acharya Ishan Shivanand, and Dr. Pradeep Bhardwaj, CEO and Founder of Six Sigma Healthcare.

The meditative intervention Yoga of Immortals founded by Ishan Shivanand has an efficacy of 72-82 per cent on the mental health issues of anxiety, depression and insomnia. It is practised by individuals across 150 countries, and has been commended by the US Congress, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the Ministry of AYUSH - Government of India, among others.

The high-altitude medical services provided by Six Sigma Healthcare led by Dr. Bhardwaj have been applauded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The company has also received 24 national awards from the Government of India, and along with 20 national records, it also features in the Limca Book of World Records.