CSR Ambulances
The Divisional Administration Kashmir flagged off two ambulances at TRC, Srinagar under the Corporate Social Responsibility initiative of the presence of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). NHIDCL handed over the ambulances equipped with basic life-saving support to Divisional Administration under MoRT&H as a CSR initiative. The ambulances were flagged off to operate in Anantnag and Baramulla districts while a similar facility was extended to District Ganderbal in January 2021 earlier. Pandurang K Pole said the NHIDCL helps to ensure medical comforts to the residents of Kashmir valley during the trying times of the current Covid-19 situation and subsequent times.
An Assistance In Marriage
To further augment the social assistance scheme for poor unmarried girls in Jammu and Kashmir, the government has sanctioned 8254 cases and provided assistance of Rs 32.78 crore for the current financial year. For 2021, in Kashmir division the department has sanctioned 4940 cases, releasing marriage aid of Rs 19.58 crore. The highest number of marriage assistance cases was sanctioned for Kulgam with the disbursement of Rs 4.20 crore. Similarly, in Baramulla, the department has sanctioned 947 cases with an amount of Rs 3.78 crore followed by Pulwama where 615 cases were sanctioned and 2.40 crore was released as marriage aid to the BPL families.
Under this scheme an unmarried girl above 18 years of age belonging to the BPL family will receive Rs 25,000 cash assistance and the cost of 5 grams of gold at the time of her marriage.
Likewise, in the Jammu division, the approved cases are 3314 during the year 2020-21 and released amount stands at Rs 13.20 crore. And during the same year, the most number of marriage assistance cases were approved in Poonch of the division with 597 and an amount of Rs 2.39 crore was released in favour of the girls followed by Udhampur where an amount of Rs 2.32 crore has been released in favour of brides among the below poverty line families.
Building Covid-19 Hospitals
The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) will build two 500 bedded hospitals, one each in Kashmir and Jammu divisions. Last week, the Union Home Secretary asked the Government of Jammu and Kashmir to immediately identify suitable locations for constructing 500-bedded hospitals while asking DRDO to evaluate and submit corresponding proposal estimates through a team of experts.
Meanwhile, Jammu & Kashmir government has already identified two patches of land in Jammu and Srinagar for the early start of construction work. In the past, the Defence Research and Development Organization has built 1000 bedded temporary Covid hospitals across the country in approximately 12 days each. The construction of two 500-bedded hospitals in J&K will greatly reinforce medical infrastructure for dedicated COVID care in the Union territory.
Fighting Cancer
The Administrative Council (AC), which met last week under Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha approved the proposal of the Health and Medical Education Department to create 196 posts for the State Cancer Institute (SCI) at the Super Specialty Hospital, Jammu. The new posts have been created to adequately meet the requirement of faculty, technical, paramedical, and administrative staff of the cancer treatment institute coming up in the Union territory. To strengthen tertiary level cancer care facilities, the State Cancer Institute is being established at an estimated cost of Rs 120 crore under the centrally sponsored scheme National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, CVD, and Stroke (NPCDCS). SCI will function as an apex institute for cancer-related treatment, which will mentor and coordinate activities of other institutes. It will also provide outreach services, diagnosis, and referral treatments, develop treatment protocols and undertake cancer research to enhance the efficacy of treatment in Jammu and Kashmir.
Countering Covid-19
The Jammu and Kashmir government last week stated that there is no shortage of oxygen and Remdesivir availability in Jammu and Kashmir. The government said that all fears and rumours need to be dispelled, as there is not only sufficient oxygen available but also an ample and sufficient stock of Remdesivir available. The government said that J&K has one of the best covid management systems in place and was handling the covid related situation proficiently. The government said that with installing the number of oxygen plants in past few weeks, the availability of oxygen is going to be increased from 5 tons to the functional capacity of 20 tons in Kashmir alone, which is sufficient to deal with any Covid related situation smoothly.
Stating that the vaccination process shall be paced up in the coming days as J&K has placed an order of the highest 1.25 crore vaccine doses and availability will increase in days to come.
The Divisional Administration Kashmir while giving details said that bed capacity has been also increased to a better level, as there are 600 level-1 and 1600 level-2 oxygen beds available presently at various health facilities in Kashmir, besides a sufficient number of ventilators beds are also available at district hospitals to cater any exigency situation. The government said that Anantnag and Kulgam districts have sufficient oxygen availability while there is a proper contingency plan in place, and 3 more 1000 litre per minute oxygen plants are being commissioned at Bijebehara Anantnag, Kulgam and Srinagar districts. The government stated that it has also set up various call centres to ensure prompt response to the people through various helpline numbers. The government said that there is a daily Remdesivir requirement of 100 at SKIMS Soura and 150 at GMC Srinagar and stock shall be replenished well in time.
