Uttarakhand hospitals on high alert as tensions on India-Pak border escalate

Amid rising tensions with Pakistan, the Uttarakhand government has directed all hospitals in the state to stay on high alert.

Hospital staff leaves have been canceled, and authorities have been instructed to prepare for any emergency situation.

Following guidance from the Central Health Ministry, Uttarakhand Health Secretary R Rajesh Kumar issued a set of operational guidelines, instructing the state to reserve 12,000 beds in all hospitals and ensure that all ICUs and ventilators are fully operational.

In light of India's ongoing Operation Sindoor, which is targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan, the borders of Uttarakhand adjoining Nepal and China have also been placed on high alert.

The skies over Dehradun were active with Indian Air Force planes flying from 1 am to 3 am, causing curiosity among local residents due to the loud noise. People in the area observed the aircraft in the skies throughout the night.

On the military front, the Indian Army successfully shot down over 50 Pakistani drones during a large-scale counter-drone operation along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) on the night of May 8-9.

The operation was prompted by Pakistan's attempts to send multiple swarm drones into Indian territory, which were promptly neutralized by the Indian Army Air Defence units. The Army's countermeasures included a range of advanced air defence systems, such as L-70 guns, Zu-23mm, Schilka systems, and other equipment designed to target aerial threats.

Drones were reportedly intercepted in areas such as Udhampur, Samba, Jammu, Akhnoor, Nagrota, and Pathankot. The Army's swift response successfully prevented the drones from reaching their intended targets.