Leh, Aug 11: In a swift display of humanitarian assistance, the Indian Army extended crucial medical aid and evacuation support to six persons injured in a road accident on the Manali–Leh Highway near Sarchu on Monday.
The accident occurred earlier in the day when a civil vehicle skidded off the road, leaving three adults and three children injured. Around 12:00 noon, with the help of local community members and the police, the injured were brought to the nearby Army camp at Sarchu, which sits at a high-altitude location known for its harsh weather and remote terrain.
Army medical personnel, led by the camp’s Medical Officer, immediately administered first aid and provided necessary emergency treatment to stabilise the victims. Assessing the severity of injuries, it was decided that two patients could be evacuated by road to the Sonam Norboo Memorial (SNM) Hospital in Leh.
However, the remaining four—whose condition required urgent advanced medical care—were airlifted from Sarchu by Army Aviation helicopters. The high-altitude evacuation was conducted under challenging weather conditions, underscoring the Army’s commitment to saving lives in remote border areas.
The timely action by the Army, combined with the support of local residents and police, is being credited with potentially saving multiple lives.
Pertinent to mention here that, in a dramatic rescue operation through treacherous terrain the other day, the Indian Army’s 56 Gorkha Rifles, working in tandem with the 108 Ambulance Service from Kharbu Drass, saved the life of a high-risk pregnancy patient stranded in the remote Bakarwal nomadic area of Mushkoh Valley.
The patient, Frida Banoo, wife of Khalid Hussain, was seven months pregnant and suffering severe abdominal pain when her family sought urgent help.
A six-member Army team from 5/5 GR carried her on a stretcher across the rugged Mushkoh Nala, overcoming the valley’s lack of public transport and harsh geographical barriers.
She was then handed over to the 108 Ambulance unit, which transported her to the Sub-Divisional Hospital in Drass for emergency treatment.
Mushkoh Valley, famous for its wild tulips and brown bears, is also etched in history as a strategic location during the Kargil War, with Tiger Hill, Batra Hill, and Rhino Hill marking its landscape. Despite its natural beauty and wartime legacy, the area remains isolated, posing serious challenges for medical emergencies.
Local residents praised the swift coordination between the Army and ambulance service, calling the intervention a lifeline for the community.
The rescue once again underscored the Army’s readiness to extend humanitarian assistance in even the most inaccessible corners of the region.
