Saving Pilgrims
at 12,000 Feet
Spandan is deployed at all four Char Dhams — screening pilgrims for silent cardiac conditions before they begin their ascent into India's highest Himalayan shrines.
The Challenge
A Sacred Journey
With a Hidden Danger
The Char Dham Yatra draws over 4 million pilgrims annually to India's highest Himalayan shrines. Most are elderly. Many have never had a cardiac assessment. All are about to put their hearts under extreme physiological stress.
At 3,500 metres, oxygen levels drop by 40%. The cold triggers vasospasm. The exertion is relentless. For anyone with an undetected arrhythmia or heart condition, this is a life-threatening combination — and there are no cardiologists on the trekking routes.
Cardiac events account for approximately 30% of all Yatra fatalities. The nearest hospital from Kedarnath is over 30 minutes away on a good day. In this environment, a 10-second test before the climb is everything.
"The problem is not that people are dying. The problem is that most of them had no idea they were at risk."
of all Yatra fatalities are cardiac in origin
AIIMS Study, 2023drop in oxygen at 3,500m altitude
ISRO Altitude Datacardiologists stationed on most trekking routes
Field Assessment, 2026to nearest hospital from Kedarnath
SDRF UttarakhandOur Approach
10 Seconds to Know. Before the Climb.
Sunfox deployed trained operators with Spandan at base camps of all four Dhams. Every willing pilgrim receives a free 12-lead ECG scan before their ascent — no gel, no cables, no specialist required.
Pilgrim Arrives at Checkpoint
A Sunfox-trained camp operator greets each pilgrim at the base station with a brief voluntary health check and ECG consent.
10-Second Spandan ECG
A full clinical-grade 12-lead ECG in 10 seconds. Compact device, smartphone-connected. No specialist or gel required.
Cleared, Counselled, or Evacuated
Normal ECG: proceed with Yatra. Mild risk: monitored and counselled. Critical findings: immediate intervention and helicopter evacuation if needed.
What We've Done This Season
Every number here updates in real time as tests are completed on the ground at all four Dham camps.
1 in 29 pilgrims flagged as clinically critical — far above baseline rates.
Over 80% of critical cases had zero prior cardiac diagnosis.
Pilgrims above 50 accounted for 70%+ of detected abnormalities.
Kedarnath (3,584m) had the highest detection rate of all four sites.
Dham‑wise Breakdown · 2026
Site‑by‑Site Impact Data
Each Dham presents unique altitude, terrain, and cardiac risk profile. Data reflects the active 2026 season.
Kedarnath
3,584mVentricular tachycardia and ST-elevation patterns — triggered by acute hypoxia on the steep 22km ascent.
Badrinath
3,133mCold-induced vasospasm was the most frequent finding. Road access masks the severity of altitude exposure.
Gangotri
3,100mHighest detection rate across all sites. Every flagged case here requires helicopter evacuation coordination.
Yamunotri
3,293mDense forest exertion triggers Bradycardia and bundle branch blocks — especially in pilgrims over 60.
From the Ground · Kedarnath 2026
We had a 68-year-old pilgrim whose ECG showed a life-threatening arrhythmia. He had no symptoms — he was physically fit, he had done this route before. Without the screening, he would have started the climb. That test saved his life.
Partner With Us
Help Us Screen
Every Pilgrim
We want Spandan at every entry checkpoint across all Char Dham routes — making pre-Yatra cardiac screening a mandatory safety standard, like oxygen level checks.
Target: 50,000 Screened by 2027
Scale the programme to cover every major pilgrimage checkpoint across Uttarakhand.
Mandatory Pre-Yatra Cardiac Protocol
Working with Uttarakhand government and temple authorities to formalise ECG screening as a standard health checkpoint.
Clinical Research Publication
Releasing a peer-reviewed paper on high-altitude pilgrimage cardiac risk and portable ECG intervention outcomes.