COVID-19: J-K LG reviews medical facilities at Kathua, Samba hospitals; asks authorities to augment oxygen availability

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 25 (ANI): Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha on Tuesday visited GMC Kathua, District Hospital and Covid Care Centre at Samba to review medical facilities provided to the patients.
During his visits, the Lt Governor took a comprehensive stock of the COVID-19 containment measures in the respective districts and asked the health officials to ensure the best healthcare facilities for the patients and also directed the senior doctors to increase rounds in COVID-19 wards.

"It is our collective responsibility to ensure the availability of necessary medicare facilities, besides putting in best efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus and save precious lives through prompt response", Sinha told the officers adding that effective COVID Clinical Management and strict compliance of referral policy for hospitals should be ensured.
He also directed the hospital authorities to increase the existing COVID dedicated beds, besides augmenting oxygen availability in the hospitals within fixed timelines. Sinha asked authorities to scale up testing and vaccination with a dedicated focus on vulnerable groups.

He reviewed the progress being made for developing new Medical infrastructure in the district hospital to augment the medical facilities, besides reviewing the establishment of Panchayat level Covid Care facilities. He also inspected the under-construction New OPD Block at District Hospital Samba and directed for its timely completion.
Deputy Commissioner, Samba, Anuradha Gupta informed the Lt Governor that 101 Panchayats of the district have vaccinated 100 per cent of its Health Care Workers (HCW), and 98 per cent of above 45 years age group. 24x7 telemedicine services and COVID-19 control room have been established in DC office along with e-passes facility, she added.

On being informed about the dedicated oxygen pipelines connecting COVID dedicated beds at District Hospital, Samba, the Lt Governor directed for providing all the 100 beds in the hospital with dedicated oxygen pipes and set the timelines for the same.
At Kathua, Dr Anjali Nadir Bhat, Principal GMC Kathua, gave the present status of COVID care infrastructure and availability of healthcare facilities at GMC Kathua. Deputy Commissioner Kathua, Rahul Yadav also apprised him about the COVID-19 control measures taken by the administration to contain the spread of coronavirus in the district.
He informed that a total of 213 Covid Care Centres have been established at Panchayats, around 1,137 patients have been facilitated with telemedicine facilities, besides 1,849 COVID kits are being distributed.
It was further informed that 70 per cent of vaccination of the above 45 years age group has been achieved, besides 98 per cent of healthcare and frontline workers being covered.
Emphasising vaccinating all the population falling under the targeted age groups, the Lt Governor directed the DC to ramp up the vaccination drive with a dedicated focus on rural areas.
According to the Union Health Ministry, Jammu and Kashmir has 47,437 active COVID-19 cases. The total number of recoveries has reached 2,19,620 and fatalities have mounted to 3,564. (ANI)