Representative image of trekking.
Credit: iStock Photo
A Bengaluru-based trekking organisation has launched a volunteer initiative to provide basic medical care in remote Himalayan villages. Called Aarogya Seva, it mobilises medical professionals who trek with the organisation to extend their itinerary by a day or two to run free health clinics for residents.
The first clinic was held in Lohajung, Uttarakhand, on December 20, 2025, and was led by a paediatrician. Since then, five more camps have been organised in the state, involving general physicians, ophthalmologists and a dentist. Over 80 medical professionals have applied to volunteer for upcoming camps, and around 20% are from Bengaluru, says Swathi Chatrapathy, chief editor at Indiahikes, which is behind the initiative.
So far, the camps have been hosted at Indiahikes’ campuses in four villages, Lohajung, Karchi, Sari and Gaichawan Gaon. Swathi says residents often have to travel seven to eight hours one way to Dehradun for specialised medical care, and villages further inside remain poorly connected by road.
The trek leaders with the organisation are medically trained and are often approached by mountain villagers for help. This unmet need prompted the team to “mobilise the trekking community to give back to mountain communities”. The response to the first clinic reinforced the need. “More than 80 children turned up. A local school even declared a holiday so students could attend,” Swathi recalls. In some children, developmental delays and epilepsy were identified.
The initiative will also be opened to non-trekkers shortly. For details, write to info@indiahikes.com