Govt making sustainable investment in healthcare, clinical workforce: Lt Governor

Srinagar, Jun 3: “J&K Government continue to make a sustainable investment in healthcare, clinical workforce to build a resilient health infrastructure to combat the ongoing crisis and future health emergencies. We are committed to make life better for people.”
Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha made these remarks during his visit to Ganderbal to review the Covid situation in the district. The Lt Governor also visited Budgam and assessed the containment efforts being undertaken by the District Administration and Health Department to effectively tackle the Covid pandemic.
During his visits, the Lt Governor took first-hand appraisal of the healthcare facilities for patients at District Hospital Ganderbal; DCHC Chanapora and Covid Care Facility Nagam, Budgam.
While taking a detailed assessment of the availability of the medicare equipments in the Hospitals across the Districts, the Lt Governor directed the health department to ensure functioning of ventilators and other life-saving equipments, besides compulsory training of human resources for operationalization of these equipments.
Each hospital in the UT would submit a comprehensive report on Healthcare Assets utilization on a weekly basis, added the Lt Governor.
“We can protect and strengthen J&K by collaborative action against Covid-19 pandemic. My sincere thanks and gratitude to all those abiding by Covid protocol. I urge everyone not to be careless, and maintain the discipline to effectively combat the deadly virus”, said the Lt Governor.
Doctors, nurses, and frontline warriors like Babli Rani, Dr. Tazyeen Younis, Additional SP Feroz Yehya are the backbone of our health system. They have served the people with utmost dedication to save lives, added the Lt Governor.
Emphasizing on aggressive vaccination and testing to break the chain of transmission, the Lt Governor underlined the need to act more holistically and protect those who are most vulnerable.
While we have reformed our health system and decentralized community healthcare, we must accelerate vaccination & testing for vulnerable groups and mobilize all necessary resources for continuous assistance, the Lt Governor maintained.
Making optimum utilization of Covid Care Centres in Panchayats with community contribution, especially in areas where home isolation is not feasible, needs to be done. Besides, areas with high positivity rate need to be identified and declared as micro containment zones so that preventive measures can be taken to break the spread of the virus, he added.
Directions were also passed to the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir and DC Budgam for speeding up the development works, setting of a new District Hospital, Urdu University, besides expansion and up-gradation of rural roads in the district.
While appreciating the efforts of the District Administration, Ganderbal for achieving the milestone of 100 % coverage of first dose of vaccine among above 45 years age group, the Lt Governor asked the DC Ganderbal to share the good practices with other District Administrations as well.
Krittika Jyotsna, Deputy Commissioner, Ganderbal, gave an overview of the Covid containment measures being taken by the District Administration.
She informed that the Nodal officers have been appointed for monitoring of vaccination centres and micro-containment zones. This innovative method of real-time monitoring has made a huge difference to accelerate the vaccination process in the district. Besides, 1200 people are under home isolation in Ganderbal and 24×7 Control rooms are operational to facilitate the patients. 1358 Covid kits have been distributed under Covid management efforts.
She also informed that Covid Care Centres (CCC) have been established in all the Panchayats of the district with RAT testing facility at every CCC.
Regarding oxygen supply, it was informed that a 1000 LPM capacity oxygen generation plant is fully functional at DH Ganderbal.
Sh. Shahbaz Ahmad Mirza, Deputy Commissioner, Budgam, while giving the overview of the Covid containment measures being taken in the district, apprised the Lt Governor that 80% of HCWs, 73% FLWs, and 77% above 45 years age-group have been covered with first dose of vaccine.
500 LPM oxygen capacity at DCHC Chanapora is meeting the requirements of the patients. 08 Isolation facilities (Level-II Hospital) having a bed capacity of 437 with 299 beds with oxygen facilities, while 08 COVID-19 Care Centres with bed capacity of 965. 10587 patients recovered so far, besides 2699 Covid kits have been distributed in the District, he added.
The DC further informed that Covid Care Centres in all 296 Panchayats of the District are established. A total of 12 Covid Control Rooms (24×7) is functional in the District and around 25820 calls have made to patients in Home Isolation. Also, 24 Senior Doctors/Consultants are available for Tele-Medicine services across the District and 3725 people have been served with telemedicine services.
Door to Door surveillance by Medical Teams being done and PRIs, NGOs, and religious leaders have been roped in for IEC activities. NGO Mother Foundation Association was also roped in to provide specialized Tele-Consultation services to general populace, he added.
The Lt Governor was accompanied by Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary; Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lt Governor; Pandurang K Pole, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir; Vijay Kumar, IGP Kashmir; Mohammad Aijaz, Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar; Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad Rather, Director Health Services, Kashmir and other senior officers.