Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 20: Divisional Commissioner Kashmir P K Pole today said that there are no plans to impose any sort of lockdown in the Valley but there is a callousness in the public which needs to be plugged sooner the better.
Addressing a press conference, Pole said that last year, lockdown was imposed to save lives as there was not much knowledge about the virus and its behaviour.
“With the passage of time, unlocking was done and measures were taken to prevent the spread of virus. Last year, there was no tourism and the economy suffered a lot. As the time passed, we evolved a country-wide COVID protocol that entails preventive measures like wearing of masks, using sanitzers, and maintaining distance,” he said.
He said that at present there are 7300 positive cases while Kashmir has recorded 1300 deaths so far. “The percentage of deaths is 1.47. In total, there were 90,000 COVID positive cases of which 80,000 recovered so far. He said that 28 lakh people were tested of which 20 lakh were done through Rapid Antigen Testing, and remaining through RTCPR”, he added.
“There is a mutant virus about which we don’t have much knowledge. At present we are following COVID protocol. There is a callousness among people which needs to be plugged,” the Divisional Commissioner said.
Pole said that there were no plans of imposing any sort of lock down as administration is following the slogan of “Jaan Bhi Aur Jahan Bhi.”
He said that there are 1500 beds available of which total occupancy is 30 percent only. “37 percent hospitals in Kashmir are having adequate oxygen facilities. The situation is not alarming in the Valley. Non-medical oxygen supplies have been banned and only medical supplies of oxygen will be allowed”, he added.
To a query about whether administration has any plans for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra slated to begin from June 28, the Divisional Commissioner said that there is a plan but the same is tentative as the situation is evolving so are the measures. “While preparations are on for the smooth conduct of Yatra, we have identified 30,000 local service provides for Yatra, who will be vaccinated,” he said.
Director Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura Dr A G Ahanger who was also present at the press conference said that COVID samples from Kashmir are being sent to New Delhi and Pune testing facilities but there has been “no change” in the COVID strain that existed in the Valley last year. He, however, said that the CVOID cases have shown a “tremendous surge” in the past over two months.
Ahanger said there are 260 beds specifically for the COVID patients at SKIMS. “Level 3 care is available at the SKIMS and Infectious Diseases Block (IDB) is dealing with it,” he said, adding surgeries that can wait are being delayed for some time.
He said that from the 1900 liters of oxygen availability at one point of time at SKIMS, the hospital has 3250 liters of oxygen per minute. “Besides this, we are enhancing the oxygen facilities in the coming months and with that we will be having additional 1250 liters of oxygen availability per minute,” he said. “The only issue we are facing is non-availability of injection Remedisvir.”
Principal Government Medical College Srinagar, said that primarily SMHS deals with the non-COIVD patients but still 232 beds have been kept for the COVID patients.
The Director Health Services Kashmir Mushtaq Ahmed appealed to people to go for vaccination. “All myths about vaccination are false and fake. Vaccination is the only way to stay away from the ICU,” he said.
The Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Aijaz Asad also urged people to go for vaccination stating that the habitations where people got jabs showed less positive rate and severity in cases.
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