Srinagar, June 12: As the Covid infection cases and admission in hospitals have witnessed a dip, the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir (DHSK) Saturday ordered resumption of elective surgeries in hospitals suspended last month due to resurgence of Covid-19 cases across Kashmir.
In this regard, an order issued by the Director Health Kashmir directed all the heads of the institutions under the jurisdiction of DHSK to resume elective surgeries in non-Covid hospitals.
“It is impressed upon all the Chief Medical Officers, Medical Superintendents and Block Medical Officers under the administrative control of this directorate to resume conducting of elective routine surgeries in their respective non-Covid health institutions forthwith in view of the decline in the number of Covid-19 positive cases reported from across Kashmir division,” reads a circular.
However, all the necessary precautions, guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by the competent authorities from time-to-time must be adhered to while performing surgeries in the interest of the safety of patients as well as healthcare workers, the circular reads.
DHSK’s order came days after Greater Kashmir carried a story highlighting the problems confronted by non-Covid patients as major hospitals and healthcare institutions continue to bar OPD services and elective surgeries.
In a separate order issued by the Director Health Services Kashmir Chief Medical Officers and Medical Superintendents have been ordered to make Addiction Treatment Facility (ATF) functional at the already identified places in district hospitals within a week’s time.
“It is impressed upon all Chief Medical Officers ad Medical Superintendents to make ATF functional at the already identified places in the district hospitals within a week’s time,” the circular reads.
In respect of District Baramulla and Anantnag, it said, the same facility needs to be set up at SDH Sopore and SDH Bijbehara.
“Further all the Chief Medical Officers and Medical Superintendents should contact Dr Majid Shafi, Consultant Psychiatrist, District Hospital Pulwama, who is hereby nominated as Nodal Officer for setting up of ATF in all district hospitals,” the order read.