National Conference provincial President, Devender Singh Rana Saturday sought declaration of medical emergency in Jammu in view of the spike in COVID19 cases and inadequate infrastructural facilities to tackle the crisis-like situation.
“The overall scenario is quite grim and there is no room for complacency that can prove catastrophic unless an emergent and proactive response is not taken to save precious lives,” Rana said in a statement.
He referred to the disturbed reports trickling from hospitals with patients either not finding beds for treatment or lack of oxygen and ventilators.
Rana said the government should have anticipated such a situation emerging and taken necessary measures to buffet bed strength by earmarking maximum number of available beds in each hospital, roping in private hospitals and nursing homes besides setting up of at least a 1,000-bedded hospital on the analogy of such facility created by the Punjab government.
While lauding the frontline warriors in risking their own lives by putting in best efforts to treat the cases, Rana said the poor infrastructural backup is “disgusting.”
He drew the attention of the administration towards paucity of beds, questioning how meagre strength of 608 beds of the total capacity of 2,637 beds in Government Medical College and Associated Hospitals in the Jammu can meet the requirements.
“The situation is even worse in semi-urban, urban and rural areas. The availability of oxygen is very poor and dysfunctional ventilators are worrisome keeping in view the emergency nature of cases,” he said.
Rana called for installation of liquid oxygen plant, oxygen generation plant and other plants in various hospitals on the war footing besides similar facilities at the district-level hospitals to cater to the needs of peripheral health institutions.
He reiterated deployment of senior officers for monitoring the situation, “which seems to be going out of control, creating panic among people.”