Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Apr 11: Twelve persons today tested positive for COVID-19 in Kashmir taking the number of positive cases in Kashmir to 180.Among today’s 12 COVID-19 positive cases, 7 are from Bandipora, two each from Kupwara and Baramulla districts and one from Budgam district.
A 20 year old man from Hajin in Bandipora were district tested positive today. He had travelled to Bhopal and attended religious meeting at Nizamudin last month. A 22-year old man from Bandipora who is undergoing treatment for COVID-19 tested positive fourth time today. He had travel history of Chennai.
Five people from Gunde Jehanghir in district Bandipora tested positive today. They include three men aged 44, 25 and two women aged 25 years and 70 years. They are all contact of previous COVID-19 patient.
Two women from village Shah Wali in Kupwara aged 70 and 80 tested positive for COVID-19 and both of them are contacts of previous COVID-19 positive patient. Police today registered a case against the man from Shah Wali Kupwara for hiding travel history. He had travelled to New Delhi and attended meeting at Nizamudin mosque.
An 18-year old boy from Solinda village in Tangmarg area of Baramulla tested positive for second time. He is admitted in the hospital for treatment but tested positive for second time today.
A 24-year old woman from Wagub Sopore in district Baramulla tested positive. She is contact of already positive patient and was under quarantine.
A 60-year-old man from village Pallar in district Budgam also tested positive today. He had travel history of New Delhi.
Nodal officer for Coronavirus at SKIMS Dr G H Yatoo told Excelsior that 11 persons tested positive for COVID-19 at SKIMS laboratory today.
He said that few more persons were admitted at the SKIMS whose samples were taken and reports are yet to come. And no new COVID-19 patient was added to the hospital today and all the positive patients who are undergoing treatment at JLNM are asymptomatic. At Pulwama District Hospital, 29 more samples were taken today and sent for testing.
Dr Mohammad Saleem Khan from GMC Srinagar said that 56 samples were tested in the laboratory and 55 are negative and one is positive and sample is being tested again.
At present, there are 214 active cases in J&K, of which 40 are from Jammu division while 174 are from the Kashmir. So far, six patients have completely recovered while four, including a woman from Jammu, have died.
So far 3206 tested were conducted in Jammu and Kashmir. There are 41 positive cases including two recoveries and one death from Bandipora district of Kashmir, 33 including one death from Baramulla, 11 from Budgam, three from Pulwama, 14 from Shopian, 15 from Kupwara, two each from Ganderbal and Kulgam and one from Anantnag district.
48,202 persons in Jammu and Kashmir are under observation while as 7,729 persons have been kept under home quarantine besides that 214 persons are in hospital isolation while as 422 persons are under hospital quarantine.
10,921 persons have completed surveillance period and 28,912 persons are under home surveillance besides that so far results of 3,206 samples are available. “Out of 3,206 total number of samples tested, 2982 stand negative while as 224 have been tested positive so far in J&K UT.
And a medical team was today kept hostage inside a house in Sheikhpora, Wathoora village of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
A medical team from Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Chadoora went to Sheikhpora village for screening of a person but the team was kept hostage inside the house.
“As soon our members asked about the person who had travel history, his family members kept our whole medical team hostage in their house”, said an official.
A person from the village was to be taken for screening but his family members refused and kept the medical team hostage inside their house. Soon after Police was informed about the incident, a police party rushed to the village to rescue them but were attacked with stones.
However, he said that the medical team was rescued safely by the police. He further stated that while being attacked with stones, three of the policemen were injured.
A case (FIR number 53/2020 under section 188, 269, 353 IPC) has been registered at Police station Chadoora and further investigation has been taken up.
And the lockdown across Kashmir continued for the 23rd day today with authorities acting tough against the violators of government orders issued to prevent spread of Coronavirus.
Police and paramilitary troopers were deployed on roads and they had erected concertina wire to block the roads to prevent movement of people and vehicles. Dozens of people were arrested in Kashmir today for violating prohabitory orders.
Patient care takes hit in GMC Baramulla
Suhail Bhat
As the administration continues to focus on Caronovirus pandemic, non-COVID patient care takes a severe hit at Government Medical College Baramulla in North Kashmir owing to the reluctance of the patients to visit the hospital for fear of catching the infection.
What adds to the fears of the locals is the decision of the administration to treat the level-1 patients at the hospital which, as per doctors, has increased the chances of cross-infection. “Treating level-1 patients will increase the COVID-19 patient flow and require more doctors. For that, we have to call doctors from other faculties. The same doctors would then go and see the non-COVID patients and increases the chances of cross-infection,” a doctor said, who wished not to be named.
The administration has categorized the hospitals into three stages. Patients who do not require intervention like ventilatory support would be treated at stage first hospitals while as the others would be treated at 2nd and 3rd hospitals as per their severity. “But the district administration has ordered us to keep all the patients here. Either dedicate us entirely for the COVID 19 or act as per the laid down rules,” a doctor said, adding that the decision has affected the non-COVID patient care.
For the fear of catching the infection the patients have also stopped visiting the hospital. “We used to receive a number of heart attack and pneumonia cases here. But they have stopped coming here. By doing so they are only risking their lives,” a doctor said, adding that no one is talking about non-COVID patients.
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