August 28: A team of specialist doctors has reached Gosainkunda for providing emergency medical treatment to the pilgrims visiting Gosainkunda during the Janai Purnima festival. A big religious fair takes place at Gosainkunda, a pilgrimage site located in the northern region of Rasuwa district, on the occasion of the Janai Purnima festival every year. The festival falls on August 31 this year.    
The team comprising seven doctors has reached Gosainkunda under the aegis of the Bagmati Province Ministry of Tourism and Cooperatives, and the Himalayan Rescue Association, Kathmandu. The team will treat the pilgrims for high-altitude sickness and other health issues in case of need.    
The association's chief executive officer Govinda Basyal informed that seven physicians of the Mountain Medicine Society have reached Gosainkunda. The team is coordinated by Dr Nishanta Joshi who has the experience of working at the Pheriche Health Post in Solukhumbu run by the association.    
The medical team will provide health services for 10 days at Gosainkunda. "The team will also provide medical care to the pilgrims on the way to Gosainkunda as well. It will carry out health examination of pilgrims from Monday to Thursday at Gosainkunda," CEO Basyal said.    
The association has been providing health services to the pilgrims by sending doctors' group to the holy place since 1997, said the association’s president Dambar Parajuli. He said the association will provide health treatment and medicine to the pilgrims free of cost.    
A mobile phone tower has also been recently installed at Gosainkunda which is at an altitude of 4,380 metres from the sea level. The mobile tower is set up at the initiation of Mohan Acharya, an elected member of the House of Representatives from Rasuwa district.    
Before this, it was difficult for the pilgrims to call home from Gosainkunda. Hundreds of pilgrims from within the country and abroad converge at this pilgrimage site to offer homage and perform religious rituals on the full moon day in the Nepali month of Shrawn. -- RSS