5 doctors, 55 armed policemen among 106 fresh COVID-19 cases, J&K nears 1300 mark
Nadeem Nadu
Srinagar, May 18: First time ever since the breaking out of pandemic, Kashmir on Monday recorded three COVID-19 deaths in one day taking J&K’s death count due to the deadly infection to 16.
Meanwhile, 106 more people, including 5 doctors and 55 policemen, tested positive today taking the number of infected persons in J&K closer to 1300 mark.
2 deceased tested positive in the morning
Two among the three victims, a 65-year-old woman from Kulgam district and a 75-year-old from Kokernag Anantnag had tested positive this morning and were shifted from SMHS hospital to CD hospital Dalgate here, one of the facilities exclusively meant for the management of the COVID -19 patients in Kashmir.
Official sources told GNS that the 75-year-old woman was suffering from thyroid cancer.
“Earlier a 65-year-old female from Kulgam, who was admitted at surgical ICU in SMHS hospital as case of sub dural haemorrhage (SDH) tested positive for COVID-19 this morning. She was shifted to CD Hospital Srinagar where immediately after admission she suffered a cardiac arrest and died instantly,” Dr Salim Khan, nodal officer COVID-19 at Government Medical College, Srinagar, told GNS.
Earlier in the day, a 75-year-old man, a resident of Hillar Kokernag Anantnag, died at the CD hospital. After testing positive for the disease last month, the septuagenarian had tested negative for the disease. Subsequently, he was shifted from CD hospital to SMHS hospital for an emergency procedure known as tracheostomy—which involves creating an opening in the neck in order to place a tube into a person’s windpipe to allow air to enter the lungs. It was at SHMS hospital when his fresh sample, known as tracheal aspirate rather than the ordinary—naso/oropharyngeal— swab was taken which later returned positive following which he was again taken to CD hospital where he died.
Dr Salim Tak, Medical Superintendent CD hospital said that the man was continuously on ventilator from last eight days. “He was suffering from pneumonia. Last week a tracksmosty procedure was done on him at the SMHS hospital,” he said.
The deaths come a day after a 29-year-old woman from Habba Kadal Srinagar died at the CD hospital here. In last three days, Kashmir has witnessed five COVID-19 deaths.
On Saturday, a 70-year-old man from Chadoora in Budgam district died at SKIMS Soura. His reports came positive after his death.
Of 16 causalities in J&K, 14 people died in Kashmir and two in Jammu division.
The Srinagar district has reported 5 deaths, highest in any district, followed by Baramulla and Anantnag with three deaths each while one each has been reported in Bandipora, Budgam, Kulgam, Udhampur, and Jammu.
106 fresh COVID-19 cases
Five doctors and 55 armed police personnel including an SP ranked officer, were among at least 106 fresh cases reported in J&K on Monday, taking the over tally of the Covid-19 patients in the J&K closer to 1300 mark.
Among the, 665 are active positive—98 in Jammu and 567 in Kashmir. 609—60 in Jammu and 549 in Kashmir have recovered while 15 others have died. Of 106 fresh cases 94 were reported from Kashmir and 12 from Jammu.
59 fresh cases are from Anantnag district 12 each from Srinagar and Kulgam, four from Kupwara, two each from Bandipora, Jammu, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch while one each from Baramulla, Shopian, Budgam, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Udhampur, Ramban, Kishtwar and Doda.
Nodal officer Covid-19 at Government Medical College Srinagar said that among the 750 samples processed at CD Hospital’s COVID-19 testing lab, 55 were from DPL Anantnag and 8 of them are patients admitted to SMHS Hospital. Besides 3 ENT doctors of the hospital and one doctor each at Government Dental College Srinagar and SKIMS MCH Bemina.
The other patients include 2 from Anantnag, 2 from Srinagar (travelers from New Delhi), one patient admitted in LD Hospital from Bandipora, 2 from Jammu while one each is from Ganderbal, Kulgam, Handwara, Pulwama, Doda, Banihal, Kishtwar and Kathua.
“There is no policeman from district police Anantnag. The DPL Anantnag is a collection point and all the 55 personnel are from armed police,” a senior police officer said. Among them, he said, one is a SP ranked officer.
Official sources said that five doctors whose samples returned positive include a 30-year-old from Bemina Srinagar (posted at SKIMS MCH), 27-year-old from Asham Sumbal Bandipora (posted in Orthodontics dental college Srinagar), 46-year-old from Ladakh (Consultant ENT SMHS), 42-year-old from Mahjoor Nagar Srinagar (Consultant ENT SMHS) and Registrar ENT SMHS, a 30-year-old doctor.
Among other patients who have tested positive at CD hospital’s covid-19 testing lab include 50-year-old woman from Bemina Srinagar, admitted to isolation ward in SMHS. The others including 75-year-old woman of Kokernag, 55-year-old man from Fateh Kadal Srinagar, 65-year-old woman from Kulgam,, 56-year-old from Kargil, 70-year-old woman from Budgam, 55-year-old man from Pattan Baramulla and 27-year-old from Sallar Anantnag were also admitted to SMHS hospital.
The 55 armed policemen who tested positive are aged between 25 to 56 years and maximum among them are in 30s, they added. Eleven other samples were confirmed at Army’s Command Hospital Udhampur and include 10 from Kulgam and one resident of Udhampur distrct, sources said. The two others are from Rajouri and their samples were confirmed at GMC Jammu.
Professor Farooq Jan, Medical Superintendent SKIMS said that five samples returned positive for the disease and include three from Kupwara—18-year-old girl from Magam Handwara, 25-year-old womn and 30-year-old man from Gonipora Handwara— while one each is from Shopian (70-year-old man Darbagh) and 26-year-old from Rambagh Srinagar. With these cases, the number of COVID-19 patients has risen to 1289 so far.
Health official among 2 test positive in Poonch
Meanwhile, another news agency KNO reported that Poonch district in Jammu division on Monday witnessed two more positive cases of deadly Coronavirus, officials said.
The total number of COVID cases in the district has reached three while one among the fresh positive case is an official in the health department posted in Surankote hospital.
Talking to KNO, District Magistrate Poonch, Rahul Yadav said that on Monday afternoon, they have received the sample reports of two more positive cases today.
He said that one of the fresh cases is from Poonch, who has a travel history of Punjab and was presently in an administrative quarantine in Poonch. The second positive case is a health department official belonging to Surankote and was posted in the hospital there.
