Stop taking medicines without consulting medicos

Jammu and Kashmir like other parts of the country are going through a difficult phase as there has been no let up in the number of daily positive cases. The Union Territory for the first time yesterday recorded over 5,000 positive cases in a day, thus explaining the gravity of the situation at present. The government has taken measures to increase the bed capacity and other increased the number of COVID care centers here to accommodate the increasing patient inflow at the hospitals. However, amid such a situation, disturbing reports are coming to the fore, which reveal that the people who are having symptoms of the virus are taking medicines on their own without consulting the medicos. Taking the medicines without consulting the doctors can deteriorate the health of a patient and thus can simultaneously put a burden on the health institutions, which needs to be avoided. There is a need to understand the ground situation and avoid the things that would have serious ramifications. The people must cooperate with the health officials, government and other agencies in combating the virus by following the set protocols and behaving sensibly during the prevalent worrisome situation. The government should also direct the private medical stores not to sell the drugs to the people without proper prescription. The medicines should be sold to the people only after the doctor’s recommendation written on the prescription. This can help in saving the lives of many people amid the present juncture.