3 die, 103 fresh cases reported in UT of Ladakh
7 in office of one DC; nephew, cook of another test +ve
Govt says none died due to non-availability of oxygen
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 1: The Jammu and Kashmir today recorded single-day highest 44 COVID casualties and 3832 cases while the Government maintained that no death has taken place due to non-availability of medical oxygen.
Jammu region reported record 30 Corona deaths and 1231 cases, the highest being 18 in Jammu district, three Poonch, two each Samba, Kathua and Udhampur and one each in Reasi, Ramban and Doda districts today.
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Thirty casualties in Jammu region include 13 women, one of them a 36-year-old pregnant lady from village Kanah in Ramnagar tehsil of Udhampur district and 68-year-old former Vice Chancellor of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University Rajouri Prof Irshad Ahmed Hamal, who was presently putting up at Bhatindi.
Prof Hamal succumbed to virus at ASCOMS Sidhra today. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condoled the death of Prof Hamal and recalled his contributions for upliftment of the Society through academics.
The pregnant woman died of COVID at Community Health Centre (CHC) Ramnagar.
A 32-year-old beauty parlor owner hailing from Mendhar breathed her last due to Coronavirus at Government Medical College (GMC) Rajouri. A Rural Development Department (RDD) storekeeper aged 59 and resident of Mendhar also died of virus in the GMC Rajouri. A 52-year-old man from Mohra Bachai in Surankote became third COVID victim in Poonch district. He too died in the GMC Rajouri.
A 34-year-old youth of Sainik Colony and 27-year-old girl from Nikowal, RS Pura died of COVID at their houses. An 86-year-old man from Vijay Nagar Talab Tillo also succumbed to the virus at home.
Other deaths in Jammu district include 95-year-old woman from Channi Himmat, 48-year-old and 70-year-old men from Janipur, 51-year-old male from Durga Nagar, 67-year-old man from Sidhra, 63-year-old woman from Jeevan Nagar, 50-year-old male from Chinore Bantalab, 65-year-old man from Model Town Digiana, 86-year-old woman from Shanti Nagar, 70-year-old man from Patoli Barahamana and 58-year-old woman from Canal Road.
COVID fatalities from other districts were 65-year-old woman at Katra in Reasi district, 43-year-old woman of Rakh Amb Tali and 59-year-old man in Samba. The man died at PGI Chandigarh.
Two women aged 50 and 60 years hailing from Ward No. 1 and Dhaloti Rajbagh in Kathua died of Coronavirus at GMC Kathua and AK Gupta COVID Care Dedicated Hospital Kathua respectively. A 65-year-old woman from Gool Ramban succumbed to the virus at GMC Jammu while 80-year-old female breathed her lost because of pathogen at CHC Bhaderwah. A 59-year-old woman from Chabootra Bazaar Udhampur died in the District Hospital.
Thirty casualties have taken Jammu region’s Corona toll to 919, the maximum being 496 in Jammu district, 67 each in Doda and Udhampur, 66 Rajouri, 65 Kathua, 54 Samba, 37 Poonch, 26 Ramban, 22 Kishtwar and 19 in Reasi district.
Seven officials in the premises of Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Indu Kanwal Chib including three in her own office while nephew and cook of DC Rajouri RK Shavan have tested positive for the COVID-19.
Meanwhile, family of 59 years old woman Bita Kumari Kher of Vinayak Nagar Muthi in Jammu alleged that she died because of lack of negligence at ASCOMS Sidhra, while the J&K Government as well as Director Director ASCOMS Dr Pavan Malhotra denied shortage of medical oxygen in the hospital.
Dr Malhotra said the woman died of Cardio Pulmonary Arrest.
He said the patient was admitted in the hospital on April 14 as COVID positive and had turned negative on April 28 but she couldn’t support herself on the atmospheric oxygen and had to continue with high flow oxygen.
“She had massive Cardio Pulmonary Arrest around 9.30 am today and passed away due to acute COVID phenomena,” Dr Malhotra said and denied that the woman died due to non availability of oxygen.
“Oxygen supply to the hospital is adequate and hospital is not admitting any non-COVID patients so that care of COVID positives isn’t affected. Normal and Emergency surgeries have been temporarily suspended,” Dr Malhotra said.
The J&K administration also clarified that no patient has died due to shortage of oxygen supply at ASCOMS hospital here as regular replenishment is being undertaken as per requirement raised.
“Four deaths reported in Batra hospital Jammu today (Saturday) occurred because of routine medical reasons, not because of shortage of oxygen,” a statement issued by the administration said.
The statement, uploaded by the Department of Information and Public Relations on its Twitter handle, said as far as oxygen supply to Batra hospital is concerned, 253 oxygen cylinders were supplied to it in the last 24 hours and regular replenishment is being undertaken as per requirement raised.
“The supply of oxygen is being closely monitored,” the statement said.
It said while there is an increasing demand due to a rise in the number of COVID cases, no patient has died due to shortage of supply of oxygen.
“Please do not pay heed to rumours,” the administration said.
Earlier during the day, noisy scenes were witnessed at ASCOMS Sidhra hospital here after relatives of the COVID-positive woman claimed that she died because of the non-availability of medical oxygen.
“Our patient was undergoing treatment at the hospital for the past 17 days and died painfully of suffocation due to non-availability of oxygen,” one of the protesting relatives of the deceased said.
Among 1231 fresh cases in Jammu region, 504 were reported in Jammu district followed by 141 Udhampur, 137 Samba, 120 Kathua, 96 Rajouri, 64 Poonch, 60 Ramban, 52 Reasi, 42 Doda and 15 in Kishtwar district.
At the same time, 689 patients recovered from the virus today, the highest being 474 in Jammu district, 133 Reasi. 35 Kathua, 29 Udhampur, eight Doda, seven Rajouri and three in Ramban district.
Jammu region now has 70755 Coronavirus cases. Among them, 11172 are active positives while 58664 have recovered from the virus and there have been 919 casualties.
Three persons died of COVID-19 while 103 tested positive in the Union Territory of Ladakh today.
A 62-year-old man from Choglamsar and a migrant worker from Jharkhand were among three persons who died of pathogen in Leh today taking the UT’s corona toll to 143—99 in Leh and 44 in Kargil.
Of 103 fresh positives, 80 cases were reported in Leh and 23 in Kargil.
Ladakh now has a total of 13969 Corona cases including 1450 active positives while 12376 have recovered from the virus. The active positives include 1328 in Leh and 122 in Kargil district.
As demand surges, GMC-J to add
45 new beds, 22-bedded ICU
As demand surged for COVID beds in Government as well as private hospitals due to spike in cases, the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu was in the process of making 45 beds and 22-bedded Intensive Care Unit (ICU) operational in the Super Specialty Hospital shortly.
GMC Jammu Principal Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma told the Excelsior that 45 more COVID dedicated beds and 22 bedded ICU for positive patients are being made operational in the Super Specialty Hospital at Resham Ghar.
She said out of 405 dedicated COVID beds in the GMC Jammu, 322 were occupied by the patients while 83 were vacant up to this evening.
In the Chest Diseases Hospital, 80 patients were admitted as against the capacity of 110 beds while all 70 beds in the Maternity and Childcare Hospital (MCH) Gandhi Nagar were in use.
In private sector, ASCOMS Sidhra has committed 110 COVID beds to the Government, Medical Superintendent Dr Rabinder Rattanpal said.
By this evening, 70 COVID patients were admitted in the ASCOMS.
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