SOPORE: Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Baseer Ahmad Khan, today visited Sopore town of Baramulla district and convened a meeting with all stakeholders regarding COVID-19 mitigation measures being implemented in the area to combat the global pandemic.

Advisor had a detailed discussion with the stakeholders comprising representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions, religious heads, transporters, traders and prominent citizens who presented their feedback and suggestions with regard to the issue.

Advisor, while deliberating on the COVID pandemic and its ramifications, said that the fight against this dreaded virus is a collaborative effort of local administration and the civil society. He sought cooperation from the participants to tackle the pandemic effectively towards its end. He said that the government is working unrelentingly to deal with the situation in the best possible way and the cooperation of people is imperative on this account. He asked the religious heads and PRIs to disseminate information about SOPs and preventive protocols regarding Covid to be followed in order to avert this monstrous virus.

“Understanding the gravity of the situation efforts of the government need to be supplemented by the whole community and in this endeavor the role of traders, hoteliers, transporters and religious leaders become more important and crucial”, Advisor maintained.

Emphasizing the need to disseminate right information countering the rumours and misconceptions regarding the epidemic, Advisor said that accurate knowledge about the exact situation is essential to contain this virus. He asked the religious leaders to make the people aware about the disease and its preventive measures through Mosque in Sopore five times daily.

Advisor said that the Lieutenant Governor is taking day to day review of the COVID-19 situation and is personally monitoring the performance of each department. He said the recent decision of LG government regarding establishment of 5 bedded Covid Care Centre in each Panchayat under CAPEX budget is a unique initiative which shall help greatly the people at grass root level. Also, the initiative taken by the LG regarding reinforcement of tele-medication to the patients through Tele-consultations at each level will go a long way in containing this pandemic.

Advisor sought the status of tele-medication and the call centers working in Baramulla district.

Deputy Commissioner informed that 24×7 helpline is already functional and around 400 calls are being received  daily besides a team of dedicated doctors attend the calls and give consultations over the phone which has reduced the influx of patients to the health care centers.

Advisor was informed that at present two new oxygen plants have been commissioned at the district head quarters. Presently, 400 oxygenated beds have been kept ready and for the first time ICU facility has been established in North Kashmir with five ventilators in place and more than 100 concentrators have been received and put to use.

Advisor stressed on the need of massive vaccination saying that adequate stock of vaccine has arrived and the administration should aggressively pursue the inoculation drive. He was informed that 2.5 lakh people have already been vaccinated in the district besides 259 dedicated teams have been deployed for the purpose of aggressive vaccination.

Meanwhile, Advisor reviewed the status of testing being done through RAT and RTPCR and was informed that around 3000 RAT tests are being conducted daily and around 1000 of RTPCR.

The visiting delegations and representatives of traders, transporters and religious leaders expressed their gratitude to the Advisor for his keenness to reach  every corner of the Valley to have on ground assessment of actual situation arisen due to Covid. They also expressed gratitude to Lieutenant Governor for his sincere efforts towards tackling the crisis with added zeal and dedication.

Jammu: The Army rescued two people from drowning in the JCB vehicle that had got washed away in Marua River near Nawapachi village in Marwah valley of Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, army said on Thursday.

Army said two civilians identified as Sajid Ahmad Mir, the driver, and Mushtaq Ahmad got stuck in the JCB when it got submerged while working on the bank and in the fast current. The vehicle had got washed away for around 500 meters.

“On receipt of information from locals, an Army column from Nawapachi post immediately rushed towards the site of the accident. Jumping into the river in the fast flowing water, Indian Army along with Jammu and Kashmir Police and locals successfully took out the civilians from the submerged JCB vehicle with the help of ropes in a 90 minute long difficult rescue mission,” army said.

“Prompt action of troops in the rescue operation saved the lives of two civilians.”

JAMMU: As most of people around the world have confined themselves at homes, but for frontline workers like Meena Sharma, a Female Multipurpose Health Worker (FMPHW) has little option to stay indoors during current COVID-19 pandemic.

Like other frontline healthcare workers (Nurse and paramedics), Sharma is at the forefront of this COVID-19 health crisis for which they were recently appreciated by Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha in his recently held monthly radio talk ‘Awaam Ki Awaaz’.

“It is an amazing feeling that we were approached by Lt Governor’s office for appreciation as our whole team is dedicatedly performing our duties. We are happy that our work is being monitored by LG  himself who has recognized our efforts during his radio talk,” Meena Sharma said.

Despite at the risk of catching the coronavirus disease while collecting samples from people for testing, Sharma said their main motive is to remain resilient in the face of this pandemic and save as many lives as they could.

Sharma has been pressed into services by Chief Medical Officer Jammu for covid-19 testing for collecting daily samples from people at the places they are being sent.

“Our office sends us to different locations, offices, markets etc for sample collection. Right now our fixed site is Gandhi Nagar High school where we test through RAT and RT-PCR testing.

She sought cooperation from the people by following all covid-19 appropriate behavior and to follow SOPs strictly so that the war against the coronavirus could be won and the things  return to normal again.

“I appeal people to follow proper protocol and only those people should venture out of their homes who have any emergency or any official work. Unnecessarily leaving homes would create problem for all of us because it a matter of life and death,” she appealed.

On Sunday (May 16) Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha had dedicated the second run of the radio programme ‘Awaam ki Awaaz’ to Corona warriors, expressing his gratitude towards them for putting their lives at risk for the service of the people.

During the programme, the LG had shared some of the inspiring stories of good Samaritans, and saluted their spirit and dedication towards human service.

In the programme, Lt Governor had appreciated the efforts of frontline healthcare workers and had also mentioned nurses like Meena Sharma from Jammu for relentless efforts and strength during the present health crisis.

“This is an unprecedented contribution to the service of humanity,” the LG had said about the coronavirus warriors.

‘By following SOPs, observing safety precautions, nursing staff has overcome initial fear’

SRINAGAR: As Covid pandemic has disturbed every aspect of life, including social relations in public & private life due its contagious nature and devastation in terms of deaths, many families are grappling with covid infected patients all alone with the fear in hospitals of getting infected. Last year the social stigma that was wrongly attached  to the disease and infected individuals has gone away to a large extent. The Government, health care authorities and  the media have been working to dispel the myths, rumours and misconceptions in the society about the disease and  covid positive patients.

The covid patients  need compassion, help and good treatment and in this difficult situation health care professional like Nurses have  shouldered the responsibility to treat covid positive patients with commitment and affection. It is they who have debunked and dispelled all the negative stories and demonstrated that by following  proper safety protocol and SOPs,   patients can be treated without any fear.

“The role of nurses during the current pandemic is appreciable who are working as frontline warriors to help corona patients and are dealing with them very closely and rendering all assistance to them. There is no reluctance and hesitation among nurses to have physical contact while administering injections, medicine to positive patients. They are executing their job sincerely, effectively and professionally to give hope to hapless patient and attend them round the clock. Nurses are the at the frontline who are first to attend and respond when a covid patient is brought to hospital”, said Haseena Sofi, Assistant Nursing Superintendent, Officer incharge Nursing Administration, SKIMS,  Soura, Srinagar.

“In some cases families have abandoned covid patients fearing that infection may get to them, but nurses are creating a family atmosphere for a patient and don’t let the patient feel lonely. Patients are our family’’, said Ms Haseena Sofi while giving details of the compassionate behaviour of nurses in dealing with admitted ailing persons.

Many nurses also succumbed to pandemic across the globe but ‘there is no retreat from discharging professional duty at a time of health emergency and crisis’, Ms Haseena Sofi said.  “In fact nurses are risking their lives for patients without hesitation”, she said emotionally.

This pandemic has forced every individual to stay indoors while nurses continue to work day and night in hospitals with a purpose to serve patients to help people to emerge out of this gloomy phase. ‘We shall overcome’,  She said, ‘from this temporary stage and enter in a new phase of life with return of normalcy.

She revealed that SKIMS Administration has increased the capacity of the institute by increasing work force. The nurses staff strength has been augmented in the institute with the addition of 133 nurses to cater to more than 400 covid patients undergoing treatment in the Institute said Assistant Nursing Superintendent.

She said that hospitals are like places of worship as you serve humanity, treat dejected and ailing patients giving them hope to survive and meet their near and dear ones .

She expressed her gratitude to nurses for their relentless efforts and work and prayed for their safety and good health.

“When a patient recovers, nurses feel delighted as the relationship between a patient and nurses is like a family” she said and added that “Patients share the same sentiments  towards us”.