Kashmir: COVID-19 Situation and Preparedness

With COVID-19 cases rising in India, the Jammu and Kashmir Secretary of Health and Medical Education Department, Bhupinder Kumar, on Tuesday convened a meeting to review the current COVID-19 situation besides assessing preparedness for tackling the pandemic with all the stakeholders of the department.

Mission Director NHM J-K, Ayushi Sudan, gave a brief presentation regarding the status of COVID-19 in J-K, besides presenting a snapshot of COVID cases, testing, and vaccination scenario in the Union Territory.

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It was informed that country-wide, there is an upward trend in daily positive cases being reported, including the Union territory of J-K, where the active, positive cases have gone up in the last two weeks.

The Secretary directed all the officers to remain vigilant and prepare themselves for the emerging situation. He further asked all the Chief Medical Officers and Principals of GMCs to operationalize separate flu clinics in health facilities and focus on increased testing of all Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) and Influenza-like Illness (ILI) cases with instructions to send all the RTPCR Positive test samples for Genome Sequencing to SKIMS, Soura.

He also directed Principal GMC Jammu and Srinagar to ensure early operationalization of Genome Sequencing Laboratories in both medical colleges.

The Secretary impressed upon all the administrators to undertake a mock drill across all Health Facilities uniformly across the UT on April 10 to ensure Operational Readiness for the management of COVID in all identified dedicated facilities, including GMCs, DHs, and CHCs, with a specific focus on:

• Oxygen Plants (LMO/ PSA/ Manifold)
• Ventilators
• Logistics
• Human Resources

Further, directions were issued to all the Principals of Government Medical Colleges and the Director of Health Services in Jammu and Kashmir to ensure the availability of testing kits, drugs, and supplies in coordination with J-K Medical Supplies Corporation Limited.

The Directorate of Family Welfare was asked to ensure the availability of COVID vaccination as per the requirements of districts to vaccinate the eligible population in all districts.

In order to limit the transmission of disease, he exhorted upon the need for enforcement of COVID-appropriate behaviour including wearing masks on hospital premises by patients, health professionals, and health workers. He also exhorted the comorbid and elderly persons to avoid overcrowded and poorly ventilated places.

The meeting was attended by:

• Director, SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar
• All Principals of Government Medical Colleges along with HoDs of Medicine, Microbiology, and PSM, SKIMS Bemina, Srinagar
• Director General Family Welfare, MCH and Immunization
• Director Health Services Kashmir and Jammu
• Director (Coordination) New GMCs
• Managing Director J&K Medical Supplies Corporation
• Joint Director Planning, H&ME
• State Surveillance Officers Kashmir and Jammu
• Chief Medical Officers

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