Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Tuesday set up a timeline for increasing COVID-dedicated beds and augmenting oxygen availability in the hospitals.
An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that to get on-the-spot appraisal of medical facilities being extended to the people of Samba and Kathua districts, Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha visited GMC Kathua, District Hospital and Covid Care Centre at Samba.
During his visits, the Lt Governor took a comprehensive review of the COVID containment measures in the two districts.
He asked the health officials to ensure best healthcare facilities for the patients and directed the senior doctors to increase rounds in COVID-19 wards.
Ensure effective Covid Clinical Management and strict compliance of referral policy for hospitals, he said.
The Lt Governor, while interacting with doctors and other medical staff, reviewed ongoing steps taken by hospitals and directed them to prepare for future challenges. He emphasised on continuous training of nursing and paramedic staff working in rural areas.
“It is our collective responsibility to ensure the availability of necessary medicare facilities, besides putting in best efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus and save precious lives through prompt response,” the Lt Governor told the officers.
Enquiring about the availability of ventilators, oxygen-supported beds, human resources, functionality of oxygen generation plants, besides testing and vaccination drives in the respective districts, the LG directed the hospital authorities to increase the existing COVID-dedicated beds besides augmenting oxygen availability in the hospitals within fixed timelines.
“Scale up testing and vaccination with dedicated focus on vulnerable groups. Reach out to people with all COVID-19 related important information,” he said.
The LG also enquired about the status of medical staff, availability of telemedicine services, distribution of COVID management kits, mobile vaccination, and other initiatives taken by district administrations for COVID mitigation.
He reviewed the progress being made for developing new medical infrastructure in the district hospital to augment the medical facilities, besides reviewing the establishment of panchayat-level COVID Care facilities.
The LG also inspected the under-construction New OPD Block at District Hospital Samba and directed for its timely completion.
Deputy Commissioner, Samba, Anuradha Gupta told the Lt Governor that 101 panchayats of the district had established COVID Care Centres with five-bed capacity, besides 100 percent achievement in HCW, and 98 percent of above 45 years age group had been achieved.
A 24×7 telemedicine services and COVID control room have been established in DC office alongwith e-passes facility, she said.
On being informed about the dedicated oxygen pipelines connecting COVID-dedicated beds at District Hospital, Samba, the LG directed for providing all the 100 beds in the hospital with dedicated oxygen pipes and set the timelines for it.
Deputy Commissioner Kathua, Rahul Yadav also apprised the Lt Governor about the COVID control measures taken by the administration to contain the spread of coronavirus in the district.
He said that a total of 213 COVID Care Centres had been established at panchayats and around 1137 patients had been facilitated with tele-medicine facilities besides 1849 covid kits distributed.
The LG was informed that 70 percent vaccination of above 45 years age group had been achieved, besides 98 percent healthcare and frontline workers had been covered.
Emphasising on vaccinating all the population falling under the targeted age groups, the LG directed the DC to ramp up the vaccination drive with dedicated focus on rural areas.