- Several MPs suffered high-altitude sickness during an official Ladakh visit last month
- MPs aged 60-70 faced severe breathing issues and increased heart rates due to low oxygen
- One MP was hospitalised after vomiting and bleeding post-trip to Ladakh and Kashmir
The health of several Members of Parliament, who were part of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industry, deteriorated during their official visit to Ladakh last month due to high-altitude sickness.
Owing to low oxygen levels at high altitude, the MPs experienced severe breathing difficulties and increased heart rate. The MPs aged between 60 and 70 bore the brunt of the high-altitude sickness.
One MP had to be admitted to a hospital in Delhi after vomiting and bleeding from his nose and mouth following his return from Ladakh. Several other MPs had to remain on oxygen support throughout the tour, from their vehicles to their hotels.
Led by Tiruchi Siva, DMK Rajya Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu, the three-day Ladakh tour began on May 18. The 17-member team, which included four MPs from Uttar Pradesh, was on an official visit to Leh-Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.
Health issues surfaced at altitudes between 12,000 and 14,500 feet. The committee members arrived in Leh, located at about 12,500 feet, on May 19. The next day, the team visited Pangong Lake, situated at 14,588 feet.
The rapid ascent caused oxygen saturation levels of most MPs and their family members to drop sharply. Only four or five MPs in the entire convoy did not require oxygen support; the rest fell ill.
Afzal Ansari, MP from Lalganj constituency in Uttar Pradesh, who was part of the team, told NDTV over the phone that his oxygen level dropped to 37, against the normal range of 91 to 100.
"The tour planners made a mistake. Upon reaching Leh, we are required to rest for 48 to 72 hours to acclimatise, which we didn't get. The very next day, we moved towards Pangong Lake. We had very little time to acclimatise, because of which many MPs complained of breathlessness," Ansari said.
He said that except for four to five hours, he was on oxygen support throughout. "Only while eating or during meetings did I remove the oxygen mask. Rest of the time I was wearing it," he added.
"I had to remain on oxygen support from the car to the hotel, carrying an oxygen cylinder with me. The sub-zero temperatures and lack of vegetation in Ladakh make life extremely difficult," Ansari said. His oxygen level came to normal when he flew back to Srinagar from Ladakh.
Another MP, Daroga Prasad Saroj from Azamgarh constituency, also developed severe breathing trouble on the way to Pangong Lake. He suffered bleeding from the mouth and nose and was immediately provided oxygen support. After completing his Ladakh and Kashmir tour, Saroj was admitted to AIIMS for treatment.
Some of the MPs who experienced breathing problems said the visit was an eye-opener. "One should visit these high-altitude areas to realise under what difficult circumstances our soldiers are defending the frontiers of the country," an MP said.
Dr Yangdol, Medical Superintendent of the Government Hospital in Leh, said visitors from the plains often develop complications at high altitude. "That is one of the reasons we prescribe rest for at least a day to acclimatise," she said.
