No Coronavirus case detected in J&K
Two escapees brought back to GMC Jammu
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Mar 5: As the Government is closely monitoring 230 people who arrived in Jammu and Kashmir with travel history of China, Iran and other Coronavirus hit countries for last over one month, none of the 25 samples taken so far has test positive while test reports of four others awaited.
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Eight people with travel history of coronavirus hit countries are under observation in Srinagar’s SKIMS hospital and at Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu. They had symptoms of respiratory illnesses and are kept in the isolation wards at these places. Five of them are in SKIMS Soura and three in GMC Jammu.
Out of five in Srinagar, four have tested negative for coronavirus and test result of another is awaited. However, doctors said that they are recovering.
In GMC Jammu, there are three people with respiratory illnesses and their samples have been taken and sent for lab testing. The results of their tests are awaited but doctors said that they are also recovering and there is nothing to worry about. They are under observation in isolation ward.
Nodal Officer Coronavirus Control efforts in Jammu and Kashmir Dr. Shafqat Khan told Excelsior that so far 230 people with travel history of China, Iran and other coronavirus hit countries arrived in Jammu and Kashmir in last two months. He said that out of these 186 are in Kashmir and 44 in Jammu and they are being kept under observation. He said that so far 25 people were symptomatic and 21 have tested negative while test result of four was awaited.
He appealed to the people who have travel history of visiting affected countries to report themselves to the concerned authorities.
He said that additional measures have been taken to prevent the spread of virus in Jammu and Kashmir besides a new administrative reporting structure has been created in the Union Territory to monitor the Coronavirus situation.
Government has established 33 bedded isolation ward at Government Medical College Jammu for Coronavirus cases and 22 bedded such facility at GMC, Srinagar, SKIMS Soura and Maternity Hospital Sanatnagar in Kashmir valley. The sample taking facility has been kept at GMC Srinagar and GMC Jammu.
Meanwhile, sources said that the Government has asked all the Chief Medical Officers across the UT to maintain the SOPs strictly. They have been asked to transport such people from airport and home to test lifting facilities in designated ambulances.
Meanwhile, two people with symptoms of coronavirus who had fled from the Isolation Ward of Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu late last night were brought back this morning and quarantined again in the Isolation Ward of the Hospital.
“Our teams visited houses of both the suspected patients and after convincing them by giving assurance that they will be discharged within a day or two after their reports come negative, they were brought back early this morning and kept in Isolation Ward,” Principal, GMCH Jammu, Dr Sunanda Raina told Excelsior.
She said there is no need to panic as they are not suffering from coronavirus but since as they had travel history of coronavirus-hit Italy and South Korea and suffering from fever or cough, it was decided to kept them in Isolation Ward under the supervision of doctors just as a precautionary measure.
Official sources further said that a man with a travel history of Italy was today quarantined in the house of BDC Chairperson, Sunderbani, Arun Kumar Sharma, at Banpuri (Sunderbani). They said the man is a relative of the BDC Chairperson and had gone to his house to attend last rites of the former’s son and his nephew. “He had landed at Delhi International Airport at 8:30 am yesterday, where he was checked by no body. He reached Jammu at 12:30 pm yesterday from where he directly went to Sunderbani,” they added.
“Though the man, who has been identified as Pankaj Sharma son of Amar Nath, resident of Miran Sahib (Jammu), had no symptoms of coronavirus but as a precautionary measure, BMO Sunderbani, Manzoor Hussain sent a medical team to the house of Arun Kumar and convinced them to quarantine Pankaj in a room of their house,” sources said, adding sample of the Pankaj will be taken tomorrow and sent for testing while BMO has informed the District Administration as well as higher ups in the Health Department of the development.
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