Barring GMC&AH no other hospital have oxygen concentrator

SHYAM SOOD
Rajouri May 20:–For the last many days Rajouri district has witnessed an increase in deaths due to Covid pandemic and in the active cases.
During the last 10 days, 1837 persons were tested positive and about 50 died due to coronavirus in the district.
After Concern expressed over the alarming situation by a large number of people, including social, political, religious activists/leaders, a team of senior officials/doctors headed by Hirdesh Kumar, Commissioner Secretary to the Government visited Rajouri yesterday to assess the situation.
Meanwhile, the LG administration of J&K has decided to establish 5 bedded Covid Care Centers (CCCs) at Panchyat level to tackle the pandemic effectively.
Rajesh Kumar Shavan, Deputy Commissioner (DC) claimed that within one day, district administration has covered 70% of rural based target and has taken the lead.
“On first da y on Thursday we managed to set up CCCs in 70% of panchayats of the district all the panchayats will have their CCCs by Friday morning as all the Sarpanches and VLWs have done an exemplary job” said DC.
Besides District hospital (presently GMC&AH) Rajouri district has three sub-district hospitals at Sunderbani, Nowshera & Darhal and two Community Health Centers (CCCs) at Kotranka & Thanamandi.
These health centers shall provide immediate medical help to positive cases from their respective Panchyat level CCCs.
Barring GMC&AH there is no provision of high flow medical oxygen facility in all the remaining health centers. Even except Sunderbani & Nowshera no ventilator is available in other centers.
Almost all the health centers are also facing a dearth of doctors and trained staff and under prevailing practice all the active patients are being brought to GMC&AH.
Presently 107 active cases are under treatment in isolation wards in the GMC&AH out of which 102 are on oxygen support/ suffering with acute respiratory distress syndrome which is the reason for many deaths.
“The main reason for the increase in the number of deaths of Covid patients is the late arrival” DC said.
DC said that there was no dearth of medical oxygen supply as a sufficient number of concentrators and oxygen cylinders are available with the health institutions.
DC said 158 persons were tested positive today while 148 deaths have been reported in the district including 57 deaths during the first wave and the remaining in the second wave.
“To stop this, the Government is taking concrete measures like a door to door screening of the patients, making Covid care facilities available at their doorsteps to ensure that the positive patients are detected at the earliest and necessary treatment is provided to them in time” said DC.