Shortage of COVID-19 vaccines in JK cause of concern: Tarigami

Srinagar, May 18: Amid claims being made by the Jammu and Kashmir administration about availability of COVID-19 vaccines, CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami on Tuesday said that the ground reality is different as zero vaccinations was reportedly recorded in Jammu, Kashmir in the recent days due to shortage of doses, which is a huge cause of concern.
“J&K has been recording a huge spike in COVID-19 positive cases and deaths and the only way to face it is to get vaccinated. But reportedly not a single person has been vaccinated in recent days. Instead of vaccinating more and more people, the administration in Jammu, Kashmir has left the hapless people in a lurch which has created a lot of uncertainty,” Tarigami said in a statement.
He said the official vaccination data for around last week is abysmally low, with most days drawing a blank. “This has left scores of people in lurch who desperately want to get vaccinated. Let the government come clear on the situation and make people aware when the vaccines will be available and how many. The details must be shared with the people so that there is no more uncertainty and confusion regarding the vaccination process. It is the duty of the government to protect people against Covid-19 infections,” he said.
Similarly, the medical facilities across the region are overwhelmed and testing has been restricted. Covid fatalities can be reduced as appropriate action including timely testing and hospitalization can save precious lives. Many of the Covid fatalities can be prevented by timely testing and hospitalization, he added.
“The situation in J&K may not have touched the same frightening levels as in Delhi, Mumbai or other states of the country yet but the volume of SOS calls and pleas for oxygen cylinders and vital medicines on social media suggest the widespread nature of the crisis in the region,” he said.
Much like the rest of the country, the surge in Covid cases have put pressure on the existing health system of J&K, he said, adding that tertiary care hospitals are running out of dedicated ICU beds. Not only the vaccination drive needs to be stepped up, but health infrastructure in J&K needs to be strengthened to withstand the Covid tsunami.