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OPDs shut, surgeries on hold, large chunk of patients face serious health issues, Non-COVID patients get treatment normally, claims Div Com

Srinagar: As government focuses exclusively on Covid-19 pandemic with all its men and machinery fighting the deadly pandemic, non-covid patients have been left in lurch as many leading hospitals have been designated as covid-19 hospitals where only Coronavirus patients are being treated.

The closure of out-patients department (OPD) and putting the surgeries on hold has added to the problems of the patients who have health issues other than Covid. In order to contain the situation and avoid the spread of covid-19, authorities shut OPDs in major hospitals and dedicate their men and machinery to fight the deadly pandemic.

As several major hospitals were turned into covid-19 quarters and OPDs were closed, the non Covid patients in Jammu and Kashmir are facing immense hardships.

“My wife is a suffering from Asthma and was getting treated at CD hospital since many years ” said Shabir Ahmad a resident of Pulwama told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), adding that as CD hospital has been designated as covid hospital, he is in a dilemma where to take his wife for treatment.

“The doctor who was treating her was aware about her history of ailment and I fail to understand how a new doctor can treat her,” he said. Ghulam Nabi, another patient from Bijbehara area of Anantnag district having chest ailments said that he was being treated at GMC Anantnag however, GMC Anantnag is specially now only for covid-19, he is unable to get treatment.

“Since OPD at GMC Anantnag has been closed, we were now planning to take him to SKIMS or SMHS but there are no transport facilities available,” said son-in-law of Ghulam Nabi

With most doctors are busy in dealing with covid-19, dozens of families with ailing patients are finding themselves at the crossroads of the health crisis. “People suffer from lot of life threatening diseases here,” said a doctor, adding that they need regular checkups and follow-up but government is asking such patients to consult the doctors online.

“How is it possible to treat critical ailments over a phone call, that too by a doctor who isn’t aware about medical history of the patient,” the doctor said.

“There are hundreds of patients who are unable to contact doctors online and mostly doctors are being contacted, their numbers usually come busy,” he said.

Another doctor at JVC Bemina said that most non-covid patients who were being treated at JVC Bemina, CD hospital Srinagar, JLNM Srinagar and other major hospitals are still unaware where they have go for treatment.

He said that one who was getting treatment at CD hospital is of the opinion that he won’t get treatment anywhere till CD hospital won’t be reopened for all patients after covid-19 pandemic will be over.

“It is very important that government is focusing on covid-19 but that doesn’t mean we can let it overshadow non covid patients,” Doctors association Kashmir president Dr Nisar Ul Hassan told KNO.

He said that there are dozens of deaths every day in valley due to non covid ailments but that is not reported as “our whole focus is on covid-19 due to which out of around 600 patients, 7 have died with all of them were having other ailments.”

Doctors at SMHS hospital said that they are hardly receiving 20 to 30 percent patients of that they were receiving before covid-19. There should have been huge rush of patients at SMHS as all other major hospital have been kept for covid-19 patients but only critical patients come to hospital, they said.

Patients are facing lot of inconveniences in terms of getting pass, transport facility and other issues, due to which most patients are avoiding check-ups and follow-ups which otherwise is very important for them.

Meanwhile, Division commissioner Kashmir PK Pole told KNO that non-covid patients are being treated at Primary health centres, sub district hospitals and if there is any critical case they are being shifted to SKIMS or SMHS.

“Every facility including all medicines are available for non-Covid patients. We have directed private hospitals to resume their work as well so that non-covid patients won’t suffer any more,” he said.

Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar Principal Dr Samia Rashid told KNO that every day hundreds of non-covid patients are being treated at SMHS, LD and GB Pant including cancer patients.

Asked OPDs have been closed, she said that OPDs are closed but hundreds of critical patients are being admitted in emergency every day and are accordingly being shifted to other wards.

Dr Farooq Jan Medical Superintendent SKIMS told KNO that due to lock down the patient rush has decreased by 40% but every non-covid patient is being treated at SKIMS normally.

“We never closed OPD or emergency ward at SKIMS, he said, adding that since covid started in Kashmir, over 45000 patients were treated at SKIMS.

He further added that over 400 major surgeries were also conducted at SKIMS since first case of covid-19 was tested positive in valley,” he said—(KNO)

Srinagar: Kashmir’s hotels and restaurant owner’s association (KHARA) Tuesday said it has suffered huge losses and it can’t be estimated by numbers stating that post August 5 last year their units remained shut and now Covid-19 pandemic has hit their peak business season.

The association of hotels and restaurants in Kashmir believes that the losses suffered during this pandemic are irreparable and the peak season that witnesses a huge rush of tourists from March to mid-July is almost gone.

It also said that since last year post August 5 after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A, the unprecedented situation had hit their business with hotels and restaurants across the valley shut for more than four months.

Talking exclusively to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Mushtaq Ahmed Burza, president KHARA said the losses suffered by valley hotels and restaurants can’t be measured in numbers, it’s in crores and since August last year they have only witnessed huge losses in business due to halt in tourism activities.

He said ever since the virus has hit the globe including Kashmir it has widely hit the tourism sector and it will definitely take long to recover from it. “Now even if it ends still the tourism sector will have to bear the brunt since social distancing and other protocols will take much time.”
He said that the approximate losses are thousands of crores and the losses started last year post August 05 after the unprecedented situation.

“However, officials from tourism industry and other sectors managed to motivate people from outside to visit Jammu and Kashmir this season but before the season could commence this pandemic arrived and hit our business,” he said.

He said the hoteliers have hardly managed to pay the wages of workers for the month of march but when the owner is himself out of money what will he give to them who are also affected due this lockdown and many of them are jobless now.

Referring to the most attractive tourist destinations in Kashmir valley, Pahalgam and Gulmarg he said the hotels and restaurants functioning there are in total loss and have no work for a long time now.

“If it was in hundreds and thousands the estimated loss would have been easy to say but when there is total loss in everything what is there left to say about these tourist spots,” he said.

He also said the peak season for the Kashmir valley commences from March and lasts till mid-July with huge attendance of tourists but this year Covid-19 hit their businesses hard and last year the losses they suffered were due to abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A on August 05—(KNO)

Almost a quarter of the world’s unimmunised or partially immunised children – about 4.5 million children – live in South Asia.

PTI

Expressing concern over the disruptions caused in immunisations due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday that South Asia could face yet another health emergency if children across the region did not receive their life-saving vaccine shots.

Almost a quarter of the world’s unimmunised or partially immunised children – about 4.5 million children – live in South Asia. Almost all of them, or 97%, live in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

With lockdown in place as a part of the novel coronavirus response, routine immunisations have been severely disrupted and parents are increasingly reluctant to take their children to health centres for routine jabs. Sporadic outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles and diphtheria, have already been seen in parts of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal.

The South Asia region is also home to two of the last polio endemic countries in the world, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Vaccine stocks are running dangerously low in some countries of the region as supply chains have been disrupted with travel bans and cancelled flights. The manufacturing of the vaccines has also been disrupted, creating additional shortages, says Paul Rutter, Regional Health Advisor for UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA).

Many of the health facilities throughout the region, where millions of children are normally vaccinated, have been closed and outreach sessions have been suspended, adding to the challenge.

South Asia could face yet another health emergency if children across the region do not receive their life-saving vaccine shots, the UNICEF said.

As long as frontline health workers take the appropriate precautions, particularly washing their hands, there is no reason not to vaccinate – in fact, it is crucial that vaccination continues, says Rutter.

Across the region, national mass vaccination campaigns have been postponed. Bangladesh and Nepal have postponed their national measles and rubella campaigns while Pakistan and Afghanistan have suspended their polio campaigns.

The UNICEF strongly recommends that, where immunisation campaigns are suspended, governments begin rigorous planning now to intensify immunisation activities once the COVID-19 pandemic is under control.

We are very concerned about the impact of not getting children vaccinated, says Jean Gough, Director of UNICEF ROSA.

Srinagar: Two militants have been killed in ongoing encounter which broke between goverment forces and militants in Melhora Area of Zainapora in South Kashmir’s Shopian District on Tuesday.

Official sources told GNS that two militants were killed in a gunfight. However identity of the slain militant is yet to be ascertained as operation is still underway

Earlier reports reaching GNS said that a joint team of Police and army’s 55 RR launched cordon and search operation in Melhora.

As the joint team of forces approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them, triggering an encounter.(GNS)

SRINAGAR: After a gap of around 25 days, a youth from Pulwama was tested positive for covid-19 on Tuesday taking the toll of total positive cases in Pulwama to 04 including three recoveries.

The first three patients who were tested positive belonging to the district were discharged after their recovery.

Pertinently Pulwama was the only district in the Kashmir division where there was not a single active positive patient after recovery of ist three patients.

Officials said that a person who was tested positive on Tuesday is a driver by profession and has travel history.

He was asymptomatic, but in quarantine, he started developing symptoms and later tested positive,they said (PTK)

Shopian: Encounter starts between government forces and militants in Melhoora village of Zainapora Sub division area of shopian on Tuesday afternoon

An official told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that on specific inputs about the presence of militants cordon and search Operation was launched in the area by joint team of forces including 55 RR and Zainapora Police.

As forces zeroed towards suspected spot, hiding militants fired upon forces which was retaliated, triggering an encounter, he said

Two to three militants are believed to be trapped and operation was under way when this report was filled

Pertinently last Tuesday four militants of Ansar Gazwat ul hind were killed in same village—(KNO)

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir recorded eighth death due to COVID-19 as a septuagenarian woman from Rainawari Srinagar died at a hospital here on Tuesday.

With underlying ailments, the woman had tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Monday.

Confirming it, Medical Superintendent Chest Disease hospital Dalgate Dr Saleem Tak told GNS that the elderly woman was suffering from various ailments.

“She was diabetic, hypertensive and had other comorbidities,” he said.

With the woman’s death, the number of fatalities due to the virus has gone up to 8—seven in Kashmir and one in Jammu.

Meanwhile, fifteen more people tested positive of the coronavirus in Kashmir, taking the number of the Covid-19 patients in J&K to 561.

Official sources told GNS that among them, 10 were confirmed at Viral Diagnostic Lab of SKIMS Soura and include five from Baramulla, four from Shopian and one from Kupwara.

Five other cases were confirmed at the COVID-19 testing laboratory at Chest Disease hospital Dalgate and include four from Anantnag district and one Pulwama. (GNS)