Nodal Officer COVID-19 UTs of J&K, Ladakh visits Budgam; reviews virus containment measures

Budgam: Development Commissioner Handicraft, Union Ministry of Textiles and Nodal Officer Covid-19 for UTs of J&K and Ladakh, Shantmanu, accompanied by a team of senior doctors representing Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare today visited Budgam district to take stock of measures being taken up by the administration towards containment of the global pandemic.
The team, after arriving in the Valley, visited designated COVID care centers at SKIMS, SMHS, JVC and CD Hospital Yesterday.
Shantmanu along with the team convened a meeting with Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education, Atal Dulloo regarding the status of COVID control measures.
The team visited Containment zones of Soura and Lal Bazar and inspected some patient care wards, Covid care centers, sample collection centers and some red zones in the vicinity to assess the facilities being extended to the inmates there.
At Budgam, Shantmanu along with DDC Budgam, SA Mirza convened a meeting with all concerned officers including Nodal Officers engaged with Covid-19 related duty in the district.
DDC apprised the team in detail about overall containment measures being taken up by the administration since the outbreak of COVID-19. He said at present there are 1899 positive patients, of them, 1450 have recovered fully however till date there are 46 Covid related deaths reported in Budgam. There are 8 Covid care centers having 965 bed capacity in the district and administration is keeping close monitoring on the required facilities envisaged for home quarantine. He revealed that for better containment procedures, the administration approached community heads, religious scholars, Imams, PRIs and other NGOs and appealed them to use their influence and approach in their respective areas and prepare common masses to follow and adhere to all SOPs and other guidelines regarding the virus.
Shantmanu said that all concerned medical and para medical staff shall be specially trained and capable of handling any crisis relating to Covid-19 care. He said adequate facilities shall be ensured in all established quarantine centers. He said there is a need for rapid antigen testing (RTA) in order to trace the affected persons before things might get complicated. He said measures are afoot to establish more testing centers as there is huge demand to establish them in each district. He informed soon there will be art of living camps where trained doctors and field experts will conduct the sessions.
The team, later, visited various quarantine and Covid care centers established in different areas of the district.