Jammu: Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha Sunday visited Government Medical College, Jammu to review Covid clinical management measures being undertaken by the Hospital administration.

Emphasizing on strengthening the healthcare workforce, the Lt Governor directed for hiring additional Paramedical staff, besides rational utilization of existing resources to ensure effective patient care management.

The Lt Governor directed that at all times, Senior Doctors, Nurses, and Paramedics’ presence in clinical areas to be ensured by Hospital Administration. He also stressed upon optimized supportive care for Covid patients and round-the-clock care by the hospital staff.

Dr. Shashi Sudhan Sharma, Principal & Dean GMC & AH’s Jammu informed the Lt Governor that as many as 250 nurses would join GMC Jammu within three days, substantially adding to the available healthcare workforce.

Laying special emphasis on providing better facilities to the patients, the Lt Governor directed the senior doctors to ensure proper availability of all medicines, nutritious meals, round-the-clock care of patients, food and water for attendants of the patients, and proper entry passes to the attendants.

“Senior doctors should also take the front line in informing people to adopt safe practices and Covid protocol. Seniors must leverage their role as both a doctor, caring & treating patients and a public health advocate containing Covid pandemic”, observed the Lt Governor.

The Lt Governor sought the status of two new Oxygen plants which are being set up by the J&K UT administration at GMC Jammu to augment its oxygen capacity.

While reviewing the progress being made for establishing an additional 100-bedded Covid ward, the Lt Governor directed the Principal and senior doctors of GMC Jammu to ensure the operationalization of the said facility at the earliest.

The Lt Governor also enquired about Covid care facilities, availability of oxygen support beds, functionality of Oxygen Generation Plants, besides compliance of earlier directions including regular rounds of HoDs and senior doctors in the wards to examine the patients.

Earlier, the Lt Governor visited Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) 500-bedded under construction Covid hospital site at Bhagwati Nagar and took first-hand appraisal of the on-going work.

The fully air-conditioned make-shift Covid facility with 125 ICU beds and ventilators will be completed by May 25, 2021.

While enquiring about the patient-care facilities to be made available at the said Covidcare Hospital, the Lt Governor was informed by the officers of DRDO about installation of Oxygen Generation Plant, triage facility, availability of Doctors, Paramedics and other important aspects of the Covid care management.

The Lt Governor directed the Health Department to provide all support to DRDO, including arrangements of health related facilities, hiring/posting of doctors, paramedics, and other healthcare workforce well before the formal functioning of the hospital.

While having a briefing on the road connectivity to the Hospital site and other related works, the Lt Governor set deadlines for completion of the road and other auxiliary works. He directed the concerned departments to make sure that all necessary arrangements are made well in advance.

It was informed that Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) tanks with a capacity of 40 metric tons (2 tanks of 20 metric tons each) would be installed in this Covid care facility, besides the whole structure is prefabricated and fire retardant.

Pertinently, DRDO is setting up a 500-bedded Covid facility, one each in Srinagar and Jammu, which will substantially increase the Covid dedicated bed availability in J&K.

BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary; Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary, Power Development Department and Information Department; Dr. Raghav Langer, Divisional Commissioner Jammu;Anshul Garg, Deputy Commissioner Jammu; Dr. Renu Sharma Director Health Services, Jammu, and other concerned officers accompanied the Lt Governor during his visits.

Officers of the DRDO present were Dr. Anil Khurana, Chief Engineer, Harpreet Singh, Senior Administrative Officer, and Kamlesh Kumar, Dy CCE.

Reviews public health response amid spike in cases

Jammu: Reviewing the public health response to COVID-19 amidst the surging COVID cases, the Chief Secretary, B V R Subrahmanyam on Sunday directed ramping up of COVID care facilities and speedy vaccination of target groups.

He also directed district administrations to utilize full testing quotas for early detection, isolation, and medical treatment of COVID patients.

Administrative Secretaries of the departments of Health & Medical Education, Housing & Urban Development, and Information besides Divisional Commissioners, Kashmir and Jammu, Deputy Commissioners of all districts Commissioner JMC, Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM), and Director, Family Welfare participated in the meeting.

Emphasizing the instrumental role of vaccination in checking COVID-induced fatality, the Chief Secretary informed that according to an analysis of COVID deaths in the Union territory, 93% of the reported fatalities occurred in unvaccinated people, whereas all fully vaccinated people recovered after hospitalization.

He directed the concerned to ramp up vaccination centres to the maximum capacities for achieving universal vaccination in 45 years and above age group.  Regarding 18 to 45 years of age group, it was informed that supplies are being reinforced and arrangements be immediately put in place for targeted vaccination of vulnerable population.

The Chief Secretary also informed that 49.37% fatality was recorded in COVID patients who ignored initial symptoms, delayed taking the test, and reached hospitals in critical conditions at later stages. He directed the district administrations to utilize full testing quotas and identify COVID cases at early stages to be given appropriate COVID care.

Further, DCs were asked to strengthen COVID care centres in rural areas and enhance their facilities with sufficient provisions of isolation areas, healthy diet, adequate medical supplies/equipment, and professional medical supervision. These COVID care centres will be linked with level 1&2 hospitals to appropriately refer and shift patients in cases of emergency.

The Chief Secretary also directed promotion of COVID-appropriate behaviour in people through Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities focusing on precautionary measures, health-related assistance, and helpline numbers.

Sgr-Jmu highway reopens for two-way traffic

Srinagar: Authorities on Sunday allowed the vehicular movement to ply on the either sides of Srinagar-Jammu highway, which connects Kashmir valley with rest of the country.

Moreover, the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has directed authorities to reopen historic Mughal road, which remained closed since December last year despite clearance of snow last month, for movement of fruit trucks and seasonal migration of Gujjar-Bakerwal community.

However, residents of Rajouri and Poonch are demanding that the 86-km-long road should be put through for everyone.

Meanwhile, only one-way traffic was allowed on the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh highway, which connects the Union Territory of Ladakh with Kashmir valley.

A traffic police officer said that two-way Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs), ferrying passengers, was allowed to ply on Kashmir highway with some time restrictions. “Kashmir-bound LMVs will be allowed to pass Nagrota (Jammu) between 0600 hrs and 1200 hrs while they will have to cross Jakheni (Udhampur) between 0700 hrs and 1300 hrs,” he said.

He said Jammu-bound LMVs will have to cross Zig (Qazigund) between 0700 hrs and 1200 hrs. “No vehicles will be allowed to cross these checkpoints before or after the cut off timing,” he added.

The official said that Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) will be allowed from Jakheni (Udhampur) towards Srinagar after assessing the traffic situation on the national highway. “Security forces have been advised not to ply against the traffic plan in view of congestion on Kashmir highway,” he said, adding they may ply from Srinagar towards Jammu.

Sinha, while chairing a meeting on Saturday, directed authorities to reopen Mughal road, which connects Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, for movement of fruit trucks and seasonal migration of Gujjar-Bakerwal community. “Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu should ensure availability of movement pass facilities in every district,” he added.

The Mughal road, seen as alternative to Srinagar-Jammu highway, remained closed since December last year due to accumulation of snow. However, residents of Rajouri and Poonch besides living on both sides of the road alleged that despite clearance of snow last month, traffic has not been allowed by the administration. Besides, leaders of different political parties have also demanded allowing traffic movement on the road.

The traffic police official said that one-way traffic from Srinagar towards the border town of Kargil in Ladakh will be allowed to ply between 0700 hrs to 1500 hrs on Sunday. “No vehicle shall be allowed before or after cutoff timing,” he added.

Srinagar: Terming the ‘paucity of COVID-19 vaccines in Kashmir as extremely worrying’, the Peoples Conference (PC) on Sunday urged the Lt Governor administration to float global tenders for the procurement of the vaccines.

Former legislator and senior PC leader Imran Raza Ansari said that if immediate remedial measures aren’t taken, the scarcity of vaccines can put the lives of millions of people from J&K at risk.

Ansari alleged that the health centers across the valley are battling the shortage of COVID-19 vaccines and that many centers, as per the reports, have been closed due to the unavailability of vaccines.

“There is a wave of mounting anger and frustration due to tardy vaccination rollout in J&K with some high-risk groups crying out for protection. The vaccine is the only bulwark available against the current calamity and denying the populace such a facility amid the present peak is deplorable and inexplicable,” Ansari said.

He said that if reports are to be believed, there were mere 208 jabs administered to the people in Kashmir in the last 24 hours while as in Jammu 20,000 people have received the vaccine during the same time. “We care for the people of all regions as much as we care for ourselves but prioritizing one region and ignoring the other amidst the deadly pandemic is regrettable. We demand an absolute uniformity in the supply of the vaccines in Jammu and Kashmir. Precious human lives are getting consumed and the shortage of vaccines is only making things worse,” he said.

Ansari further urged the LG administration to take a cue from other states and invite global tenders for the procurement of vaccines. “Experts are warning against the third wave and the only way that we are going to win the fight against Covid is by vaccinations. Ample stock jabs and enhancement in the existing health care infrastructure are the only means by virtue of which we wouldn’t abandon the hope of being cured,” the PC General Secretary said.

New Delhi: The second batch of the Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine arrived in Hyderabad on Sunday, Russian Ambassador to India, Nikolay Kudashev, said.

“A second batch of #SputnikV has landed in Hyderabad today! We are very happy to see that the #RussiaIndia joint fight against #COVID19, which is one of the vital areas of our bilateral cooperation nowadays, has firmly stood on rails & moving forward,” the Ambassador said in a tweet.

Affirming that the Sputnik V vaccine is even effective against new strains of COVID-19, Kudashev said this second delivery is very timely.

“As you know, in the near future India also plans to introduce the single-shot ‘Sputnik Light’ vaccine. Only through joint efforts and taking into account the vital needs of our people can we successfully fight COVID-19,” Russian news agency Sputnik quoted Kudashev as saying.

The first consignment of 1,50,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine arrived in India on May 1. A fortnight later, on May 14, the first dose of the vaccine was administered in Hyderabad at Rs 948 + 5 per cent GST per dose. The prices are expected to get lower when the local supply begins.

Says immediate de-escalation need of the hour

New Delhi: India on Sunday said immediate de-escalation between Israel and Palestine is the need of the hour and urged both sides to show extreme restraint, desist from actions that exacerbate tensions, and refrain from attempts to unilaterally change the existing status-quo.

Over the past 7 days, armed conflict between Israel and the Hamas-led militant groups have kept flaring up, marking the fiercest fighting between the two sides since 2014 that has killed more than 174 Palestinians and nearly 10 Israelis.

“Immediate de-escalation is the need of the hour, so as to arrest any further slide towards the brink,” Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, T S Tirumurti said at the Open Debate on Middle East.

Tirumurti reiterated India’s strong support to ‘just’ Palestinian cause and its unwavering commitment to the two-State solution.

He said that the indiscriminate rocket firings from Gaza targeting the civilian population in Israel, which India condemns, and the retaliatory strikes into Gaza, have caused immense suffering and resulted in deaths, including women and children.

“India has also lost one of her nationals living in Israel in this rocket fire – a caregiver in Ashkelon. We deeply mourn her demise along with all other civilians who have lost their lives in the current cycle of violence,” the Ambassador averred adding that India condemns all acts of violence, provocation, incitement and destruction.

A 30-year-old Indian woman, hailing from Idukki in Kerala, was killed in a rocket attack by a Palestinian Islamist group on Tuesday. 

Jammu: A middle aged woman was allegedly murdered by her husband in Upper Paloura area here on the city outskirts.
Superintendent of Police, Jammu North, Mohita Sharma, who rushed to the spot on receiving information, said that the lady identified as Deepu Devi (41) has been murdered by her husband namely Dharam Pal, 48, resident of Paloura, Janipur.
“The accused hit the deceased with sharp edged weapon outside their house,” the lady officer said, adding that he has been arrested and weapon seized.
According to locals, the deceased has retired from the belt force.