The J&K Government today constituted a high-level committee to formulate an Action Plan for tackling a possible third wave of Covid19.
The committee will be headed by Ex-Director, SKIMS Soura, Dr MS Khuroo as its Chairman, and Executive Director and CEO AIIMS, Jammu Dr Shakti Gupta as its Co-Chairman.
“Sanction is hereby accorded to the constitution of a committee for formulating Action Plan for tackling a possible third wave of COVID19 in the Union Territory,” reads an order issued by Commissioner Secretary, GAD, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi.
This team is comprised of Director SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar, Dr AG Ahangar, Principal GMC Srinagar Dr Samia Rashid, New Medical Colleges, J&K, Director (Coordination), and Managing Director, JKMSCL, Dr Yashpal Sharma, Mission
Director, NHM, J&K, Yasin Choudhary, Head of Department PSM, GMC Srinagar, Dr Saleem, Head of the Department Paediatrics, GMC Srinagar, Dr Muzaffer Jan, Head of Department, Chest Diseases, GMC Jammu, Dr Rahul Gupta, and Senior Resident Administrator, Department of Hospital Administration, AIIMS, Delhi, Dr Khalid as members.
They have been tasked to prepare an Action Plan with special focus on preparedness in creation of health infrastructure, enhancement of testing capacities, treatment protocols, arrangements of essential drugs/logistics, machinery and equipment, oxygen supply and manpower.
An official in the Health Department told the Greater Kashmir, “We are expecting a third wave of Covid19 in J&K by October – November this year and it is believed by the experts that children may get infected with the virus in third wave. To prevent such a situation, the Government has started preparing itself much before.”
“This is the peak of the second wave of covid19 and we expect it may come down by June-July, 2021,” the official added while citing recent spike in covid cases and large number of deaths.
“The covid spread was much faster and more dangerous than last year. The people who were not vaccinated got infected with the virus. This time covid19 caught us unprepared,” the official admitted.
“We have seen sudden demand for oxygen and more people becoming sick due to covid19 and we were not able to handle the situation because it was unpredictable,” said the senior official of the Health Department.