COVID-19 AH&GMC needs more doctors & trained staff for handling Ventilators.

SHYAM SOOD
Rajouri April 28:–Associated Hospital & Government Medical College (AH&GMC) at Rajouri presently having 50- bed facility for the covid patients.
Till Tuesday 39 patients were under treatment and with an increasing number of active cases day by day, hospital administration may face problems to deal with the situation.
Dr.Kuldeep Singh, Principal AH&GMC said the number of beds can be increased upto 80 in case of any exigancy.
With 68 more persons tested active today, the number of active cases in Rajouri district has raised to 575, seven patients were recovered today while the death toll due to Corona has reached 62 with two more deaths today one each in GMC at Jammu & Rajouri.
AH&GMC Rajouri has a fifty-bed facility.39 patients are under treatment in the isolation ward including 20 on oxygen support while 1 bed is vacant.
In the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) 10 beds are available and all the beds are vacant.
AH&GMC has 46 ventilators (11 moveable and 35 high-end) and sufficient stock of Oxygen But many patients prefer to get treated at Jammu or at other places.
The main reason behind this is the shortage of trained staff to handle these sophisticated machines.
Even against required between 7-8 Anesthetist doctors, only three Anesthetists looking after the affairs of the entire AH&GMC.
About 20 posts of consultants/doctors are also lying vacant in this hospital.
Against 4 required posts of Radiologist, only one is posted while no Blood Bank Officer has been posted against 2-3 required for the GMC hospital.
Higher authorities have directed to full fill the vacant posts of the consultants/doctors and Blood Bank Officer. Soon an advertisement will be made to fill these posts” said Dr. Kuldeep Singh, Principal AH&GMC.
No Oxygen Generation plant has been installed yet in the AH&GMC because of breach of contract by the contractor.
“On an emergency basis the higher authorities have diverted a Oxygen Concentrated plant from Srinagar and the installation work is in progress as we have received the related material and it would be made functional within the next 10 days,” said Principal.
To take stock of the availability of the oxygen supply, quality health services, medical facilities being provided to the patients, Rajesh Shavan, DC along with Additional DC, Th. Sher Singh; Dr Shamim-un-Nisa, CMO today visited the AH&GMC.
Dr Mehmood Bajar, Medical Superintendent informed the DC that presently 32 oxygen cylinders with a capacity of 07 cubic meters each are functioning in the hospital.
Rajesh Shavan, DC also reviewed the measures being taken to curb the pandemic in the district and urged upon the concerned officers to put in place added efforts to provide the best possible treatment to the COVID patients and take all necessary steps to counter the pandemic in the district.