Category: Union Territory

Family registers police case

Budgam, May 27: Another family from Central Kashmir’s Budgam district has alleged that they lost their 45 days old baby after immunization at Primary Health Centre Soibugh.

Pertinently, yesterday 45 years old baby Ziyan Ahmed Mir died after vaccinated at the same Health Centre at Soibugh area of Budgam.

Family had said that after immunization, baby developed some reaction and after a couple of hours when taken to GB Panth hospital for children on the advice of PHC Soibugh, doctors declared the baby dead. The baby Ziyan Ahmed Mir was the resident of Damipora Soibugh.

Doctors had claimed that baby died because of convulsion disorder.

After the death of the baby, another family from Soibugh has alleged that their 45 days old baby Naveen Kumar died after immunization at PHC Soibugh.

Bilal Ahmed Kumar who is the father of the baby and a resident of Soibugh told Kashmir News Trust that after vaccination, his baby lost conscience and developed some reactions. “We shifted him to GB Panth Hospital where he breathed his last on Wednesday night,” he said.

“This was the second baby that died in a single day after immunization. There is something wrong and it must be probed,” Kumar said adding that they have lodged a report at police post Soibugh.

When this Reporter called the concerned doctor for the comments, she banged the phone after listening the story and didn’t later respond to repeated phone calls.

Chief Medical Officer Budgam, Dr Tajamul Hussain told KNT that he is in Pethkoot area to assess the Covid-19 situation. (KNT)

Srinagar May 26 : Atleast 250 Kashmiri doctors serving abroad are providing free telemedicine consultation 24×7 to people in the valley since last year amid the pandemic.
These Kashmiri doctors who are serving in Saudi Arabia, US, UK, Canada, started this initiative in July last year and named it as Kashmir Health Care Support Group. These doctors ranging from general physicians, cardiologists, chest specialists, orthopaedists to paediatricians to general surgeons and pathologists have collaborated for this with an NGO Ehsaas International for using their toll free helpline to receive calls from patients.
A Senior Consultant Cardiac Anesthesiologist, who is a Kashmiri doctor based in Gulf said first they had a small group of doctors then others also joined them from Gulf, US, UK, Canada, Australia New Zealand. Many doctors who are serving in Jammu and Kashmir are also part of this endeavor, he said.
He said they took this initiative as it was not possible for patients to visit the hospitals amid the pandemic. “We provide medical advice, create awareness among patients and even provide prescriptions called e-prescription wherever needed. We keep all records of a patient so next time the same doctor follows this particular patient,” he told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).
“We receive most calls related to COVID, kidney ailments, diabetes, blood pressure, psychiatric issues,” he said.
Sharing her experience of how she got benefited by this service, Farah Jan, 27, a resident of Srinagar’s Rajbagh area, started cough and fever in the first week of April. After taking medicines for two days, there was no improvement in her condition. Eventually, she got her COVID-19 test done which came positive.
“It was not possible for my old parents to take me to the hospital as I feared they might catch infection. I called the toll free number of Ehsaas International where I was connected to a doctor in Saudi Arabia. The doctors gave me online advice for two weeks, prescribed few medicines, advised to be in home isolation and boosted my morale. I was told to check my oxygen saturation level and should remain above 90,” Farah said.
After 10 days, she got cured and her COVID test also came negative. “I felt as doctors were available for me 24×7 as I would call them any time,” she said.
Hakim Mohammad Ilyas, a representative of the Ehsaas International said they have made rosters of these doctors who remain available 24×7.
“Initially, this service was only for Kashmiris and now people across the country call on our toll free number and get required advice from the doctors, who are serving abroad,” Ilyas said. (KINS)

Srinagar, May26 : Amid surge in Covid-19 cases in the prevailing second wave of the deadly pandemic, the use of masks, hand sanitizers and other precautionary tools has gone up by 60 percent as compared to the first wave of the pandemic in March 2020 last year.

The news agency—Kashmir News Agency (KNO) spoke to several pharmacists and chemists to understand the nature and use of the safety tool kits among the people in the Valley.

Irfan Mir, a social worker from Chanapora who deals with the medicine works too told the news agency— Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that from first Wave-I of the pandemic to the second wave, a lot of positive changes have been observed among the general public, most of the people are taking all possible precautions and that is already seen on the ground level.

“There is a certain group of people that are still arrogant in taking precautions. Government is doing their job; people should also do their job and should help the authorities help to get rid of this grave situation. They still think that this pandemic is a myth or hoax. This category of people is an equal threat to the society,” Irfan said.

He said the people have got activated in taking precautions in the deadly second wave of the pandemic. They have understood the threat of the Covid-19 both physically and mentally.

“Gathering should be avoided as much as possible, if one person is infected with the Coronavirus, the whole society gets involved, no one is safe until everybody is safe,” he said.

Irfan said that the priority based vaccination held by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) is an excellent step where shopkeepers, vendors, barbers etc are getting vaccinated. These are the people with whom the general public comes in contact on a daily basis.

Meanwhile the chemists from the countryside opine that the people in rural areas are less informative about the virus as compared to the masses of urban areas.

One of the chemists from central Kashmir’s Budgam district Ashraf Bhat told KNO that the literacy rate of the people in the region is less as compared to the people of urban areas.

Ashraf, a pharmacist who runs two medical shops in two different areas of the region including Chadoora and Srinagar areas said that he witnesses two different behaviors among the people.

“At the Srinagar outlet, people on daily bases buy masks and hand sanitizers and other safety items while in Budgam people still lack awareness about the Covid-19,” he said.

He, however, said that at Budgam shop he has procured ten hand sanitizers that are yet to be sold even after passing more than a month.

“Even very few people wear masks in this area. There is no hike in purchasing masks and hand sanitizers in this area of the region,” Ashraf said.

He said that social media plays a vital role in disseminating information about Covid-19. “People use different social media platforms to get themselves aware of the day to day situation. However, not every person can have access to such advantages,” Ashraf added—(KNO)

Amid spike in Covid-19 cases and prevailing global pandemic situation, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has categorized the media persons under ‘High Risk Group’, after keeping in view the nature of their duties.

A top official while confirming the development to the news agency- Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the government recently took a decision to keep media persons in the High Risk Group, after it was observed the nature of their duties in view of the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic.

“Journalists are more vulnerable to get infected with the virus as they are always on run and come in contact with many people. So DIPR today held a vaccination drive for left out journalists at the directorate office Srinagar, before that two vaccination drives were held in collaboration with Kashmir Press Club (KPC),” an official said.

An official said that they have directed all the District Information Officers to conduct the vaccination drive for journalists, and so far the vaccination drive has been carried at district Anantnag, District Budgam and District Baramulla.

On considering media men as frontline warriors, the official said, “We know the Journalists are at the frontline, and delivering their duties professionally, that is why the government has categorized them under the High Risk Group.”

“The matter will be looked into and taken up with the higher ups, whether there is any such policy decision to designate the journalists as frontline warriors, but the Journalists have been officially recognized now as ‘High Risk Group,” an official said.

During the inoculation drive at DIPR complex on Wednesday, Media Coordinator Shabir Ahmad and Bilal Ahmad said, after the directions were passed to coordinate with the Journalists who are yet to get vaccinated, many Journalists from print and electronic media came and took the jab.

“If there is still any left out journalist who hasn’t taken the vaccine can contact us during the office hours,” they said—(KNO)

‘Baby dies of convulsion disorder: BMO 

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Budgam, May 26: A 45 days old baby died after being vaccinated at a Primary Health Centre in Soibugh area of Central Kashmir Budgam.

A family from Damipora Soibugh told news agency Kashmir News Trust that they took their 45 days old baby for immunization at Primary Health Centre Soibugh but the condition of the baby deteriorated and he died within couple of hours.

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Mir Showkat, the father of the baby said that his 45 days old baby Ziyan Ahmed Mir died due to reaction.

“We had taken the baby to PHC Soibugh for immunization. After getting injected, we left for home but the baby developed reaction and his condition deteriorated. We took him back to PHC where some employees fled away after sensing trouble,” he said.

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Mir further said that one of the employees at PHC examined the baby and asked them to take the baby to GB Panth hospital without wasting any time. Doctors at GB Panth hospital declared the baby dead,” he said.

Mir said they have registered a case at police post Soibugh and hopefully the ‘erring’ doctors will be held accountable.

When contacted, Block Medical Officer said that family has convulsion disorder history. “The cause of the death is convulsion disorder,” he said.

A convulsion is a medical condition where body muscles contract and relax rapidly and repeatedly, resulting in uncontrolled shaking. (KNT)

Srinagar: The Joint Coordination Committee of City Center Traders has appealed the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to opt for unlock as otherwise many would be left to starvation.