Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Apr 2: A stock check that was carried out by the Health Department last week in view of coronavirus pandemic in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district presented a bleak picture of the availability of safety gear like Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), face masks, hand sanitizers, and infra-red thermometers.
Insiders in the Health Department said that there was an acute shortage of equipment down to the block level of the district. “The stock check was conducted on Thursday and the results are worrisome,” an official privy to the details said.
He added the department found that most of the blocks are in dire need of these essentials and their absence were putting the frontline workers at the risk.
In Mattan block, for example, PPEs, N95 masks, triple layers masks and infrared thermometers are missing and only 10 sanitizers are available in the whole block. Similarly, Acbal and Larnoo block have 10 sanitizers and a thousand triple layer masks respectively. All other things are missing.
The story is not restricted to these blocks alone, but the supplies of sub-district level hospitals are also very less. A sub-district hospital received only one sanitizer for at least 60-employees a couple of days back in the form of supply. “In addition to the sanitizer the hospital has received 2 N-95 masks, 5 PPE kits, and 100 triple layer masks,” a doctor at the SDH said.
The non-availability of the safety gear has made doctors and healthcare workers believe that Government insensitive towards their issues. “We are not concerned about ourselves but our families. We could easily transmit the infection to them. The Government should make necessary arrangements to safeguard their frontline workers,” a doctor said.
Chief Medical Officer Anantnag told Excelsior that they have been successful to deal with the issue to a larger extent. “We have asked everyone at the block level to purchase the supplies from the local dealers and we are following it as well. These things are helping a great deal. Besides, we receive some supplies for the district headquarters as well. The issue will be over soon,” he said.
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