J-K admin sets up Covid hospitals, enhances supply of ventilators, oxygen to tackle pandemic

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 23 : The Jammu and Kashmir administration has made strenuous efforts to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic such as establishing Covid hospitals, enhancing supply of ventilators and oxygen and increasing testing facilities.
According to a press release, Jammu Health and Medical Education Department has established dedicated Covid Hospitals, augmented the supply of ventilators (525 additional ventilators), enhanced the supply of oxygen, availability of logistics viz PPE Kits, N-95 masks, has triple-layer Masks, VTM and Sanitizer.
It has also strengthened laboratory testing facilities, ensured Rapid Antigen Test on a community basis, and provided required equipment.
The department informed that 12 Medical Oxygen Generation Plants of 11350 LPM capacity have been installed so far besides installing one Liquid Medical Oxygen Generation Plant at Government Medical College, Jammu. 23000 LPM capacity is likely to be added shortly.
Consequently, upon an increase in Medical Oxygen supply, the capacity of Oxygen supported beds has been increased from 2041 beds to 2730 beds, out of which 304 O2 beds have exclusively been increased in tertiary care hospitals of the Jammu division which include GMC Hospital, SMGS Hospital and Psychiatry Hospital, Jammu.
Aggressive testing strategy with 774,000 tests per million population were performed in Jammu Division.
RTPCR testing capacity has further been enhanced in Jammu Division. COBAS 6,800 machines have also been installed in GMC, Jammu with a high-volume testing capacity of around 1200 samples in 24 hours which has further enhanced the testing capacity in the Jammu Division.
Additional manpower has been deployed in tertiary care hospitals-551 healthcare staff has been hired on contractual basis to deal with COVID-19 patients which include 138 doctors and 413 paramedics.
The control room has been set up for monitoring of oxygen supply to the COVID dedicated hospitals and a 500 bedded DRDO hospital is also being established. Oxygen generation plant is being installed and Staff is being recruited on contractual posts. Hospital is likely to start functioning from June 1, 2021.
"Adequate stocks of drugs/medicines and supply of other consumables is being provided to the hospitals of the Jammu Division for management of COVID-19 patients. Focussed attention is being given to vaccination of the population above 45 years of age. About 64 per cent population in this age group has been given Ist dose of vaccination so far," the release read.
"RT-PCR testing started in all New Medical Colleges of UT of Jammu and Kashmir in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, thus, enhancing the RT-PCR testing capacity to 12,000 tests per day," it added.