Resources may exhaust due to lockdown, fear docs
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Apr 2: Even though there is shortage in supply of equipments needed by doctors and para medical staff in treating the patients and with increasing cases of COVID-19 in J&K UT whose number has mounted to 70, the doctors are fighting hard to tackle the situation with whatever resources at their command in hospitals and Medical Colleges.
According to sources, the doctors in all the Medical Colleges of J&K dealing with taking samples of suspects of Coronavirus in the Medical Colleges of the UT are facing shortage of Personal Protective Equipments (PPE) as the supplies have not reached yet due to lockdown.
Some Principals of Medical Colleges have arranged the same on their own but still they suffer from shortage as the same equipments are needed in bulk, sources said, adding some hospitals also face the shortages of N 95 masks, sanitizers and Long Contact Red Thermometers (LCRTs) which are not available due to lockdown.
Admitting the shortage of stock some senior consultants of J&K maintained that it is a global problem and worldwide this problem is being faced by doctors, the J&K is not exception. However, they were of the opinion that stock replenishment is needed immediately. Besides the mass awareness, the doctors said that there is immediate need of back up of PPEs in Medical Colleges.
Sources said administration in some of the Hospitals has already submitted the requisition for these equipments including masks, sanitizers and Ventilators to higher ups in the Department and are hopeful that the supply would come by the first week of April. However, some Medical Colleges facing the dearth of such equipments have ordered them online and have started purchasing on war footing basis to cope up with the emergent situation.
Some Medical Colleges including GMC Kathua, Doda and Baramulla which don’t have much load as yet are satisfied with the supply position. Though these hospitals have also made the requisition for supply of Ventilators, both Principals of GMC Kathua and Doda are hopeful that they will receive the additional quantity of five ventilators each the requisition of which was given already soon. This was revealed by the Principals of respective Hospitals Dr Suleman Choudhary and Dr Tariq Azad.
Dr Tariq Azad said that Doda Medical College has at present five ventilators and the hospital on its own has placed online order for two more while Government has ordered six more ventilators for the Hospital. With this, there will be 13 ventilators in the Hospital, he added.
The GMC Kathua which has adequate number of masks and kits as per the statement of Principal Dr Suleman Choudhary the Hospital has five ventilators at present while it has made a requisition of five more which it is hoping to receive shortly.
Even GMC Srinagar is also satisfied with the supply position as stated by the Principal of the College.
However the GMC Rajouri is also in need of PPEs, Principal of the College, Dr Kuldeep Singh, said, adding these kits are badly needed by both doctors and para medical staff and order has been placed for the same he was hopeful of getting them soon. He said in case there comes a patient with Coronavirus symptoms he is referred to GMC Jammu which has been designated as COVID -19 Hospital by the Government.
The GMC Anantnag besides ventilators needed PPEs, dedicated ambulance for testing , N 95 masks and sanitizers besides, Long Contact Infra Red Thermometers (LCIRT). The Hospital has sent the requisition for the same to Government said Principal of GMC Anantnag, Dr Showkat Ahmed who showed optimism to get the same soon.
Director Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, Dr Ahanger said Medical institute Soura has a very good infrastructure to deal with situation. However, with the increasing cases of Virus and lockdown the resources are getting depleted very fast. But the administration is trying its best to contain the situation.
In Jammu though the authorities have converted 270 bedded Gandhi Nagar Hospital as COVID Hospital but it lacks infrastructure. However, as per sources the Hospital needs a huge manpower including doctors, nurses, para medical staff and nursing orderlies which have not been posted as yet to cope up with the situation.
The Doctors Association of Kashmir (DAK) which has extended its full cooperation to Government at this hour of crisis said that there should be no blame game but they all should concentrate on tiding over the crisis. President of the Association, Dr Nisar -ul- Hassan said that some problems are more vulnerable even for doctors and para medical staff dealing with COVID patients but they have to be there. The health workers needed to be given drug but the same is neither available in drug stores nor hospitals.
He said if the cases will swell it will not be possible for any health institute to cope up with the situation. He however, expressed optimism that 80 to 85 percent cases tested positive are mild with the grace of God. He stressed on devising a proper strategy instead of indulging in blame game to come out of these crisis. He said the Quarantine and isolation centers should be outside hospitals, which should be kept for treatment of patients only.
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