By: Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar: As the COVID-19 cases continued to witness a surge across Jammu and Kashmir, the health experts here have pitched for the imposition of strict curbs in micro-containment and containment zones across the Union territory to prevent the virus from spreading further.
However, some of the medical experts have called for an immediate general lockdown in wake of the spurt in the COVID-19 cases.
President Doctors Association of Kashmir and Flu expert Dr Nisar Ul Hasan urged government to re-impose lockdown across J&K to prevent further spread and deaths due to the novel Coronavirus.
He said the government must act now and shouldn’t wait for Delhi and Mumbai like situation in Jammu and Kashmir. “We are witnessing a horrific situation in hospitals. We have never seen such a situation before,” he said.
“For the last few days, people in large numbers are coming to hospitals with severe bilateral pneumonia requiring oxygen and many needing intensive-care setting. Our beds are full, oxygen points are occupied and we don’t have any space left in ICUs as well,” he added.
“If we will not act now, we will be in a situation which will be difficult to control,” he said.
Nisar said there are still a massive number of people who are susceptible to virus and warned if restrictions are not reimposed, we will end up in a worst outbreak.
Former Director SKIMS and renowned Gastroenterologist, Dr Mohammed Sultan Khuroo said there is a need to impose strict restrictions in containment zones and in and outward movement there must be strictly prohibited.
“Government notifies containment zones but no restriction is being imposed on the in and outward movement in these areas, one fails to understand the need of declaring the areas as MCZs and CZs,” he said.
Dr Naveed Nazir Shah, Head of Department at Chest Disease Hospital Srinagar said there is an exponential rise in positive cases as well as deaths and there must be some of restrictions, which will restrict the movement of the people besides congregation. “It is the only way out through which we can break the chain.”
“With the imposition of lockdown, we can break the chain but that is not the permanent solution as even after breaking the chain we have to live with COVID-19,” he said, adding that people must learn to live with COVID-19 by following the COVID appropriate behavior in letter and spirit.
“Government must put strict measures in place by fining people and take strict action against the violators,” he said, adding that the situation is going from bad to worse and as cases are coming to hospitals, in near future we may find there is saturation in hospitals also.
