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Jammu and Kashmir: 5-member team formed to tackle Covid crisis
At a time when many Covid patients have died across the country due to shortage of oxygen, the LG asked for a judicious use of the life-saving gas in the UT and an increase in the number of beds with oxygen cylinders.
The Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor (LG) Manoj Sinha formed a five member crisis management panel on Saturday to tackle Covid-19 situation across the Union Territory (UT) and ordered an immediate oxygen audit in every hospital to ensure its optimal availability to treat infected patients.
The instructions were issued on a day when the UT recorded its highest daily death toll of 47 including 30 in Jammu and 17 in Kashmir due to Covid-19 this year.
It was also decided to extend the Corona curfew till 7 am Thursday, May 6, in the four districts of Srinagar, Baramulla, Budgam and Jammu. The curfew was earlier slated to end at 7 am on Monday, May 3. The meeting also decided to continue micro-containment zoning as per requirement and re-assess the situation before May 6.
At a time when many Covid patients have died across the country due to shortage of oxygen, the LG asked for a judicious use of the life-saving gas in the UT and an increase in the number of beds with oxygen cylinders apart from an effective 108 ambulance service.
The five-member crisis management group, comprising chief secretary; financial commissioners of the Finance, and Health & Medical Education; home secretary and the principal secretary to the government, Public Works (R&B) Department, has been tasked with coordination and synergy between departments for a swift and effective response to the Covid-19 crisis.
The LG also asked officers to ensure that the Covid vaccination drive was not hampered during the lockdown period and advised them to reach out to targeted age groups through mobile vaccination. It was also decided to have separate vaccination centres for different age groups. The LG further asked for coordination with the army for augmenting health capacities.
Atal Dulloo, Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education informed the LG that a team of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) personnel was in the UT to set up a 500-bed Covid facility, one each in Srinagar and Jammu.
He also said that 150,000 doses of vaccine had been procured for the age group of 18-45 years and the third phase of the Covid-19 inoculation drive began on Saturday
