Add 1,325 oxygen beds in Jammu division within 5 days: LG tells officials

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Thursday directed officials to increase the oxygen bed capacity in Jammu division by 1,325 within five days, a spokesperson said.

The region currently has a Covid-19 bed strength of 1,903 of which 1,064 are occupied in different government hospital, he said.

With the additional beds, the capacity will go up to 3,200, the spokesperson said.

These directions were passed by the Lt Governor while chairing a meeting to review the evolving Covid situation and containment measures.

Senior doctors, health officials, chief medical officers and deputy commissioners of the Jammu division participated in the meeting either in-person or through the virtual mode, the official spokesman said.

Sinha enquired about the number of Covid dedicated beds in the GMCs and private hospitals, and directed the concerned principals and directors of private hospitals including ASCOMS and SMVD Narayana Hospital to augment the capacity with oxygen-support system.

The Lt Governor stressed on accelerating the work to meet the increasing demand for healthcare facilities at city, district hospitals and community health centres.

The meeting discussed the availability of Covid dedicated beds in tertiary care Covid facilities and district hospitals, status of Oxygen Generation plants that are installed in GMCs, besides increasing the number of Covid-dedicated beds, and facilitating the adequate availability of oxygen supply in health institutions.

The meeting was informed that oxygen generation plants at Rajouri, Reasi and Samba are already functional and additional capacity would be added to the GMC Jammu, the spokesman said.

It was further informed that oxygen plants at Kathua and Doda will be made functional soon.

The Lt Governor also directed the officers concerned to ensure rigorous testing and contact-tracing, besides intensifying the vaccination drive.

He further directed for effective implementation of restrictions in micro-containment zones to control the spread of the deadly virus.

Emphasizing on the optimal utilisation of medical staff in peripheral hospitals, the Lt Governor directed the CMOs for rationalising doctors and paramedical staff for duties in Covid care hospitals on rotation basis.

The Lt Governor further directed the officers concerned to ensure availability of doctors for consultation through online mode also.

Taking cognisance of media reports regarding Coivd-19 management in the hospitals across the UT, the Lt Governor directed the concerned functionaries to ensure that doctors are available at the hospitals and every individual seeking medicare is attended with full dedication. (PTI)