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‘The profession we are in is less a job, more a service to humanity’

Srinagar, May 06: For Dr Sadaqat Rehman, 56, a mother of a lone child, treating patients is something beyond one’s profession. She has dedicated herself to treat Covid patients of Valley.

Sadaqat is not alone, there are many like her who share similar thoughts and have a same mission. News agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) spoke to some of the female medicos who work on a frontline to treat the COVID-19 affected persons.

Sadaqat is an assistant professor at the Institute of Health and Neuro-Sciences Kashmir and began her career in 1997. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Kashmir in March-2020; she has kept her life at stake by treating the Coronavirus infected individuals non-stop.

For her, humanity is more than being a doctor first. “Since the March-2020 the workplace has now become my home as most of the time, we did not get time to go back to home. I think this is more important than anything else,” she says wearing a gentle smile.

Wearing a Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), Dr Sadaqat says treating Covid patients gives her solace nevertheless she is doing her duty.

Shabeena Rehmat—a nurse posted in Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS) Soura told KNO that over last few months she has been posted in different departments like Psychiatry department at JVC Bemina, Pediatric department at SKIMS, Oncology and as well as in Intensive critical units and all this while she and her other colleagues have been under constant exposure to COVID- 19.

“At times it gets difficult to go home after being in COVID-19 wards, as we don’t want to jeopardize the health of our families too,” Rehmat said. “For us, hospital is our home and patients our family.”

Rehmat said that “The long working hours, incessant exposure to COVID-19 and other infections and a disturbed social life couldn’t overturn me from the path I have chosen as my career.”

She said that nurses are frontline workers and have equal contribution in fighting against the pandemic.

Administering medication, catering the severely sick patients and exhaustive nights are parts of their daily routine. “We can’t afford to be exhausted and that has even never been an impediment in the four years of journey of my career.”

Meanwhile, a senior doctor Talat Jabeen said: “Although, having our health and families’ health at stake, doctors have never shown their back as we chose this profession for a reason in serving humanity.”

“This is essential service and it’s a part of our profession to deal with the COVID-19 patients. Whosoever is in the frontline in dealing with the COVID-19 has to face the problems to save the community,” she said.

Talat said, “Doctor’s lives are at risk when handling the COVID positive patients however proper measures are taken by the doctors to protect themselves as well to save the patient.” Talat said.

She also said that the department is also ensuring that no pregnant doctor is given COVID-19 duty as during the pregnancy women are more vulnerable to infection—(KNO)

Srinagar, May 06: Experts on Thursday said that the pregnancy could be an immunity-compromising condition, thus the risk of catching any disease, including COVID-19 could be on the higher side.

Flu expert and president Doctors association of Kashmir Dr Nisar Ul Hassan while talking with KNO said that the second wave of Covid-19 is affecting severely pregnant ladies as well which was not the case in the first wave.

“During pregnancy body is actively working to provide nourishment for two, hence, in relative terms, the risk of catching any disease, including COVID-19 could be on the higher side,” he said

Hassan said that in the last few days, two pregnant ladies were received at SMHS with severe pneumonia and among them one is still battling for life despite taking all life saving drugs.

“Pregnant ladies were tested positive in the first wave as well but they were asymptomatic mostly but in the second wave we are witnessing severity in pregnant ladies as well,” he said.

He said that if a pregnant lady tests positive, the chances of cesarean and admitting the baby in Immunal care units in children is very high.

Hassan said that a pregnant lady tested positive for Covid-19 can transmit the virus to her baby in the womb so there is a need that pregnant ladies who are at little higher risk must be vaccinated on priority.

“There’s now a strong case for vaccination to be thrown open for pregnant women in India as women who get vaccinated against COVID-19 could pass on protective antibodies to their babies at birth, which could safeguard them from infection risk till the time they are breastfed,” he said.

Dr Showkat Shifa, Assistant Professor at GMC Anantnag told Kashmir News Observer that pregnant women are just as much at risk for viral transmission like healthy adults. However, studies about vertical transmission are going on.

“Being in a delicate condition, pregnant women must take precautions, however, there is currently no data suggesting risk of miscarriage due to COVID-19,” he said.

He said that pregnancy comes with significant changes in the body including the immune system, so it is important to take extra precautions to avoid catching the infection, “but there is no need to panic”.

Experts believe that pregnancy itself is a vulnerable stage as they nurture another life within their womb.

“Thus the state of partial immune suppression makes pregnant women more vulnerable to viral infections, and the morbidity is higher even with seasonal influenza,” they said.

“So, there is a need that pregnant women must be very careful during this time when COVID-19 is causing this entire catastrophe globally,” they said—(KNO)

Srinagar, May 06: Amid the growing fear that the pollen from poplar trees can act as a potent COVID-19 virus carrier, valley medical experts Thursday ruled out the chances saying that there is no evidence to prove that a cotton-like substance can transmit the infection to an individual.

Medical experts believe that the pollen coming from trees like Russian poplar trees won’t act as a carrier of the deadly Coronavirus even during the 2nd phase of the virus.

Talking to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a well-known allergy expert, Dr Ghulam Hassan said that pollen leads to a similar cough but no fever which can be treated with some anti-allergy medicines while the fever is a viral infection these days due to COVID-19 virus.

Hassan said there is no evidence to prove that pollen from trees is potent to transmit virus since they are just a microscopic structure.

“Studies suggest that pollen is cotton coming from poplar trees while there is no study to prove that it can carry the virus on its surface and affect an individual,” he said.

The allergy expert said there is only one difference between infection and allergy which is, a viral infection causes fever and body ache while allergy has no such impact.

“We have tested the pollen last year after getting the chemical from America and Germany which depicted that there is the least common allergy in cotton here,” Dr. Gh Hassan maintained.

He said that the pollen from common grasses leads to allergies in the valley.

“Cutting down all the polar trees won’t find a solution. This can be normalised by immunotherapy since the pollen and dust mites enter even through ordinary masks while specially designed nano masks can prevent it,” Hassan maintained.

Meanwhile, Valley renowned Flu expert Dr. Nisar Ul Hassan who also heads Kashmir’s doctor’s body said that the virus particles (droplets) remain suspended in the air, and pollen from trees have nothing to do with it.

“They are not the vectors for the virions since it (Virus) remains suspended in air on its own the way pollen and other allergens remain. It doesn’t act as a carrier to transmit the virus,” Dr Nisar said—(KNO)

Handwara, May 06 : The Jammu and Kashmir police Thursday booked two COVID-19 positive siblings for the violation of set protocols and roaming freely in Handwara area of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

A police spokesman said that Handwara police booked 02 persons for violating Covid-19 guidelines and curfew orders issued by DM Kupwara.

They have been identified as Tajamul Islam and Nafeesul Islam sons of Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh of Hanji Shart locality of Handwara.

“The violators were Covid-19 positive and were found roaming outside their home,” the spokesman said.

He said that both have been booked in Case FIR NO. 121/2021 under relevent sections of law and further investigation was underway.

Rajouri, May 02: The relatives of a patient from Manjakote Tehsil of Rajouri district on Sunday hampered the burial of corpse of a COVID-19 patient as per set Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) forcing the police to lodge an FIR.

As per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the relatives of deceased patient in Kalali village in Manjakote Tehsil of Rajouri district took away the corpse in a bid to prevent the burial as per the SOPs.

A woman patient who was tested positive for COVID-19 died in GMC Rajouri on Saturday evening and on Sunday, a team of health department from Manjakote block was sent to the area along with corpse to hold burial as per SOPs, officials said.

However, they said the corpse was snatched in the village by the relatives of deceased patient as soon as the team of government department was de-boarding the body from ambulance.

They also tried to perform last rites on their own but their attempt was foiled by the police and civil administration officials, they said.

“We have registered a case in Manjakote Police Station and investigation into the matter is going on,” SP Rajouri, Sheema Qasba said—(KNO)

Jammu May 2: Prime Minister Narinder Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah put the lives of 130 crore Indians to risk by ignoring a grave National health emergency, for the sake of winning West Bengal State elections; but the wise Bengalis rejected the politics of opportunism and communalism, said the JKPCC Chief Gulam Ahmad Mir.

As per the statement issued, reacting to the outcome of election results today, JKPCC Chief Gulam Ahmad Mir has said that the BJP especially the Prime Minister and the Home Minister had made West Bengal the battlefield to wrest the state at all costs by using all energy, attention and tactics at their command and ignoring the grave National health emergency knocking at the doors, but the people of West Bengal rejected their lust for power and politics of polarization, division and communalism.

The entire nation of 130 crores people is today paying the price of the failures of the Modi Government to take timely steps to upgrade the facilities and resources to deal with the Covid-02, which has gripped the entire country in the worst form with a lack of required facilities and mismanagement at various fronts.

He said the quantum of sufferings being faced by the people due to Covid-02, is for the reason that the Modi government ignored the initial warnings as it was fully concentrating its entire energy and time mainly on the West Bengal elections, but their dreams were dashed to the ground by the wise people of West Bengal.
He said the strategy of west Bengal voters and their commitment to keep the communal and divisive forces at bay against all sorts of onslaughts, would be a lesson for voters elsewhere in different parts of the country, JKPCC Chief hoped.

Mir also congratulated the people of Tamil Nadu and Kerala for rejecting the BJP and its political ambitions riding on its ideological and other tactics of power

Jammu: Divisional Commissioner Jammu Dr Raghav Langar has constituted a Committee after it being appointed as Enquiry Officer to enquire into circumstances leading to incident involving death of a person at ASCOMS Jammu reported allegedly ‘due to shortage of Oxygen’.

The Committee of officers/domain experts including Director Industries and Commerce, Jammu/Member of the Committee constituted vide Govt. Order No. 341-JK (GAD) of 2021 dated 17.04.2021 – to ensure adequate and timely supply of Medical Oxygen – Director Health Service, Jammu and Superintendent Engineer Mechanical Engineering Department, Jammu have been asked to assist the enquiry officer during the proceeding of the enquiry, says an order, as per news agency Global News Service (GNS).

The Members of the Committee are directed to report at Acharaya Shri Chander Colleges of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Sidhra at 11.00 a.m. on 02.05.2021 for further course of action, it further states. (GNS)

Srinagar, May 02: Amid spike in the Covid-19 cases, the authorities on Sunday decided to extended the Corona curfew, which was already in place, in Anantnag and Kulgam districts of South Kashmir till further orders.

According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), district magistrate Anantnag Dr Piyush Singla in a Tweet said that Anantnag will continue with the existing level of measures which are in place since 28 April.

“CORONA CURFEW- Anantnag will CONTINUE with the existing level of measures, which are in place since 28 April. So corona curfew continues till further orders,” Singla Tweeted.

Meanwhile, district magistrate Kulgam, Dr Bilal Bhat in a Tweet also informed that the corona curfew will continue in Kulgam district till further orders.

“Corona Curfew-Kulgam. District Kulgam will continue with the existing level of measures, which are in place since 28 April. So corona curfew continues till further orders,” Bilal Tweeted.

Pertinently, Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday had announced an 84-hour-long curfew in 11 districts starting from Thursday evening which was later extended to rest of the districts starting from Friday evening till Monday morning 7am.

On Saturday, government decided to extend Corona curfew in four districts including Srinagar and Jammu of Jammu and Kashmir till May 06—(KNO)