The first ever Ladakh Rescue Centre Oxygen Café cum Medical centre was inaugurated by Gyal P Wangyal, EC Health on August 9 at Khardongla top.

Gyal P Wangyal said that the centre is first of its kind at world highest motorable road at the height of 18330 ft. He expressed his hope that the centre will be of benefit to the tourists as well as local during emergency hours.

He urged the local agent, Ladakh Rescue Centre to whom the centre has been outsourced by the administration to ensure its sustainability with continuous services in future and asked him to appoint few more male staff to run the centre even at night hours.

Dr. Motup Dorjey, CMO, Leh appraised that the overall supervision of the centre is under the health department. Doctor’s en-route to Nubra has been instructed to monitor the services at the centre and also to provide guidance to the staff.

He added that it has been 18 days that the centre is made functional and there has been a positive response from tourist.

The facilities include at rescue centre are emergency air, van ambulance medical services like oxygen café, checking of oxygen level, blood pressure and pulse rate, treating mountain sickness, basic medicine, and doctor on call etc. The facilities are made available on a nominal fee for tourists and free medical facilities for locals travelling across Khardong la.