SRINAGAR: In light of the escalating Covid-19 situation in J&K, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor, Nitishwar Kumar, on Tuesday convened a virtual meeting of all Deputy Commissioners to examine the mechanisms in place in the Districts to deal with the situation.
During the meeting, the Principal Secretary requested the most up-to-date status from the concerned Deputy Commissioners on the construction of Oxygen Generation Plants around the UT, and issued strict instructions for their installation as soon as possible, wherever it was pending.
He also took note of the number of beds available in each District’s Covid Health Centers, Covid Care Centers, and Hospitals, and directed that they be increased.
The Principal Secretary inquired about the operation of Covid Control Rooms, as well as the execution of incoming calls and the handling of Covid-related requests, emphasizing the importance of establishing a rapid response mechanism in all Districts.
The Principal Secretary was updated on the condition of the construction of Oxygen Generation Plants by the Deputy Commissioners. Civil works for most of the plants have been finished, and they will be made operational as soon as possible. Additionally, test runs are being conducted on some of the existing oxygen generation plants, after which they will be made operational to their specified capability.
It was also revealed that the Covid Control Rooms are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide necessary support to the public and keep an eye on people in home confinement in all of the UT’s districts.
The Principal Secretary directed the Deputy Commissioners to closely track the activities and use the alternative of hiring several teams and night shifts where possible to ensure the prompt installation of oxygen plants in the hospitals.
The Principal Secretary asked the Divisional Commissioners to closely monitor the overall situation and ensure the provision of logistics and equipment required at the District hospitals in both regions.
He also told the Divisional Commissioners to keep a close eye on the illegal sale of oxygen cylinders and to send out Magistrates and other concerned personnel to double-check the availability of oxygen cylinders arriving at their destinations from the source industrial plants.
The Principal Secretary, while seeking the details of bed capacity in different government hospitals across the UT, directed the Deputy Commissioners to ramp up the numbers of beds with an oxygen support system.
The Principal Secretary has provided orders to all Deputy Commissioners to ensure strict adherence to Covid SOPs and implementation of the district-wide ceiling on the number of persons included in congregations and functions. He urged them to make sure that people notify the Tehsildars of the functions ahead of time and that they get a receipt for it.
Keeping in view the surge in the Covid cases, directions were also passed to declare new micro containment zones for mitigating the spread of Coronavirus.
Develop a suitable mechanism by monitoring situations in the district hospitals and use an effective referral policy so as to avoid the possibility of a sudden load of Covid cases in Level 1 tertiary care Covid Hospitals in Jammu and Srinagar, the Principal Secretary advised the Deputy Commissioners.
The Principal Secretary asked the Deputy Commissioner to take onboard the religious leaders in their districts in motivating people to adopt Covid appropriate behaviour and minimize public gatherings.
He also directed the Deputy Commissioners for intensifying the vaccination drive in the age-appropriate categories and to deploy robust testing and contact tracing methods for mitigating the spread of the deadly virus.
Divisional Commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir Divisions, besides Superintendent Engineers of concerned departments, were also present during the meeting. (KNS)
