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Srinagar, April 08: Dr Bilquis, wife of jailed Hurriyat leader Shabir Shah on Wednesday cited her hubby’s example and said if Shabir Shah can spent 33 years in jail, why can’t people stay indoors for 33 days.

Talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Dr Bilquis who is Resident Medical Officer (RMO) in JLNM Hospital Rainawari appealed people to act upon the guidelines issued by administration and stay indoors to ensure safety of their lives, family members and community as well.

She said Covid-19 has hit badly Jammu and Kashmir and we don’t know who will be the next target of this deadly pandemic.

“Covid-19 attacks indiscriminately without knowing who is employed or unemployed, old or young, doctor or engineer. It is our collective responsibility to stay away from gatherings and remain indoors for time being”, Dr Bilquis said.

She said my husband Shabir Shah has spent thirty-three years in jail because of his strong political belief. Still he is confined in New Delhi’s Tihar jail where he has been kept in 6×6 cell. People should learn from him and act upon the advisories issued for their wellbeing.

“If Shah Sahab can spent thirty-three years in jail, why can’t people of Jammu and Kashmir stay for 33 days in home so that the spread of deadly Covid-19 pandemic could be overpowered”, she said.

She stated that I’m unable to understand why people are scared and fleeing from quarantine centres despite there having good atmosphere and facilities, even they can meet there with their relatives also. She added medical experts and other health workers have volunteered themselves for safety of people at this challenging time.

“I didn’t visit my home from couple of weeks. My husband is also in Tihar Jail. I along with other health experts are screening and monitoring patients continously, so people should behave maturely and assist administration at this juncture”, she added. (KNS)

Srinagar, April 08: A day after a nurse tested positive for coronavirus, a fear has created among the medical fraternity in Kashmir.

A nurse from Sopore Baramulla who is working at JVC Bemina tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday. An official said the 35-year-old nurse from Teliyaan Mohalla Sopore was home quarantined for 18 days. The official said her whole family has been taken to hospital for quarantine.
This was the first case in Kashmir when a staff member of any hospital was tested positive. This has created a fear among the medical fraternity who have to work without proper protection gear.

“We have been saying for last several weeks both doctors, nurses treating COVID-19 patients are not safe. We don’t have proper protective gear,” a nurse at Chest Disease Hospital Srinagar told Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

Another nurse from JVC Bemina said they live under constant fear. “Since Tuesday when it came to fore that nurse has been tested positive for coronavirus, our families are worried that we might get infected. There is fear among medical staff. Doctors, nurses, and paramedics are susceptible to catch virus in absence of personal protective equipment (PPE),” the nurse told KINS.

He said several doctors have been quarantined after coming in contact with coronavirus patients as former were not wearing proper protective gear.

Several doctors and nurses of various hospitals who had seen a coronavirus patient from Hyderpora Srinagar were quarantined. The patient who later died had also visited JVC Bemina where according to sources might had come in contact with the said nurse.

A doctor at Shar-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura said doctors and nurses were fighting the coronavirus at the forefront.

“We are reluctant to treat coronavirus suspect patients in absence of protective gear as we too fear for our lives. If government does not provide doctors protective gear, we will lose doctors before patients,” he told KINS.

Kashmir Nurses Association in a statement said, “In every situation we work among the forefront but unfortunately government has never gravitated a grain of attention towards our prestige profession. We work in grave risk and ironically we have been deprived of equipments to lessen the odds of the consequences that the risk can toll on us.”

The statement further reads, “We no longer request but demand the basic tools that can weigh our chances of staying well and safe heavier. So we all can treat and help those effected and be in good health enough to go back home unaffected.”

A doctor working at a hospital in Baramulla in north Kashmir said the situation was scary for doctors and nurses. “Now doctors feel cough, cold fever is COVID 19 and are hesitant to see such patients. Doctors feel helpless. Only PPE will boost doctors’ confidence to deliver,” he said.

‘Coronavirus patients recovering fast, none on ventilator’14 positive patients negative on retest.

Srinagar, April 08: Despite fast spreading pandemic Covid-19 that has targeted 139 people so far with three deaths already taking place in the J&K UT, none of the patients having Coronavirus infection in Kashmir have been put on ventilator or admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

The Authorities here in three major Covid-19- hospitals claimed that patients were recovering fast while repeat test of 14 positive patients has already came negative.

Medical Superintendent SKIMS Soura, Chest Diseases hospital Dalgate, and Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial (JLNM) hospital Rainawari, while speaking to Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS), disclosed even though they have been treating Coronavirus patients since March 18 onwards, but none was put on ventilator or admitted in the ICU so far.

“Fortunately we have no coronavirus patient on ventilator or in the ICU. All patients are stable and even I can say majority of them are recovering fast,” SKIMS Soura Medical Superintendent, Farooq Ahmad Jan told KINS over phone.

The MS further said, “So far 329 suspected Covid-19 patients were treated at the hospital. “846 tests were conducted of which 54 tested positive and rest negative. At present we have 28 patients who are admitted in the hospital. But none of them is on ventilator or in ICU,” Jan said.

He said that the condition of one Covid-19 positive patient deteriorated recently but thank God, he recovered sooner than expected. “Otherwise, we were planning to put him on a ventilator but later, we decided not to as his condition improved,” the MS told KINS.

Sources in the SKIMS said that even so far no Covid patients were classified as “critical” and majority of the cases are only “mild”,.

“There is a part of luck involved and above all, it’s God’s mercy on us,” the medicos said. “Once the patient is on ICU, it’s all up to Almighty when he or she would be off the ventilator. Putting a person on ventilator itself means, the patient is very sick.” One of the doctors described.

“Ventilators are required for Covid-19 patients who develop acute respiratory distress syndrome when the lungs are filled with fluids that make it difficult to breathe.

“A ventilator is used when lungs are filled with fluid. Such patients find it very difficult to be oxygenated in a normal way. The only way to manage is to put the patient on ventilator assistance,” said the doctor.

Similarly, at the Chest Disease hospital Srinagar, that was in news for non-cooperation of patients and also for the unhygienic wards for Covid-19 patients in the initial stage, so far 14 patients have recovered after they were tested positive for the deadly virus. “In total, 25 patients were tested positive. Of them 14 recovered after spending time in isolation. Their tests were again conducted and they tested negative,” Medical Superintendent CD hospital Dr Saleem Tak told Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

He said that at present eight positive patients are admitted in its isolation cum quarantine facility and they are gradually improving. “Thanks to Almighty, none of the patients deteriorated to an extent that we could shift them in the ICU or put them on the ventilator. All are improving gradually,” he told KINS.
At the JLNM, where patients even fled amid allegations of lack of facilities including food and toilet facilities, there are 12 positive coronavirus patients including a toddle and her seven-year-old sibling.

“All the 12 patients are undergoing treatment. None has recovered but the condition of none has either deteriorated too. No one is on ventilator or ICU. Hope all the 12 will recover soon,” Medical Superintendent of JLNM, Dr Roshan din Kasana told KINS over phone.
According to the recent reports not more than 230 ventilators were available in J&K and that the government had ordered for more.
Athrout, an NGO, donated a few portable ventilators to CD hospital recently. Given the situation in countries like France, Spain, Italy, and even United States (US) where all modern equipment is available, the morality rate is increasing each passing day.

Back home, only three deaths have taken place in J&K so far since the outbreak of the pandemic, there is of course some divine intervention that morality rate is almost zero here otherwise it would be a real disaster and not even doctors can stop it.
Murtaza Ahmed (name changed), a doctor who has more than eight years of experience in serving in an ICU and dealing with the patients on ventilators, said there is obviously some divine intervention in J&K that mortality rate is almost zero.

“Three deaths is nothing if we compare things with Italy and USA that have world’s best health care facility. Hope things will remain same in Kashmir for next three weeks. The only thing is that people need to understand importance of staying in homes, otherwise a catastrophe is waiting at our doors,” the doctor told KINS. (KINS)

Srinagar April 8: Authorities have put 20-30 non-local labourers in each room in various educational institutions of Kashmir, who fear they may get infected.

There are at least 20,000 non-local labourers stranded in Kashmir. However, these have been craving for basic facilities.

“There are no arrangements for us. Over 20 people are lodged in each room. We fear we may get infected,” a migrant worker from Bihar told Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS). “I am a mason and had earned less than Rs 2000 since I came to came in first week of March. All the money has exhausted. We are running short of the money,” he added.

Another labourer from West Bengal, who is lodged in a government building in Pulwama told KINS that nobody was concerned about them.
“If anyone gets infected, he can disseminate it to others. We (labourers) are prone to get infected as we don’t sanitize ourselves. How can we avoid any possible transmission of the virus when we are not able to maintain any distance,” he asked.

The non-local labourers come Kashmir to do works like cooking food, construction works, cutting hair in saloons, farming, selling food and other items on footpaths, and other labouring works. They had left Kashmir last year in August and starting coming back in March.
Meanwhile, Labour Commissioner, J&K, Abdul Rashid Var said several initiatives are being taken by the administration to ensure good mental health of migrant labourers for which several counselling sessions are being organised.

“The counsellors have visited 142 camps and shelter homes across J&K where they have provided counselling to 5761 floating population of migrant labourers stuck in different parts of J&K,” he said.

Besides, the Labour Commissioner said 143866 Board and Other Construction Workers have been handed out Rs 1000 each amounting to Rs 14.36 crore. “We are leaving no stone unturned in reaching out to these workers who constitute the poor section of the society,” he said.
He said in Anantnag district the disbursement of Rs 1000 was made to 11463 workers, in Budgam to 8263 workers, in Bandipora to 9269, in Baramulla to 17566, in Doda to 4481, in Ganderbal to 5570, in Jammu to 12677, in Kargil to 3084, in Kishtwar to 4320, in Kathua to 3359, in Kulgam to 8479, in Kupwara to 12977, in Leh to 3090, in Poonch to 4529, in Pulwama to 6123, in Rajouri to 2053, in Ramban to 6781, in Reasi to 580, in Samba to 2446, in Shopian to 2433, in Srinagar to 10379, and in Udhampur the amount was disbursed in favor of 3944 workers.

He said the Labour Department has provided ration to 95,511 labourers in Jammu division and 27,491 in Kashmir Division. (KINS)

Kashmiri merchant dies in Kokatta, buried there against the wishes of family

Kolkatta, April 8, KNT: Authorities in West Bengal’s Kolkatta city Wednesday refused to hand over the body of a Kashmiri merchant to his family due to Covid-19 scare.

The family in Kashmir are wandering from pillar to post to take the possession of the body but has failed so for while their pleas and requests have gone to deaf ears.

A Kashmir Shawl Trader Ghulam Rasool Reshi son of Abdul Rehman Reshi, resident of Dara, Saidapora, Harwan area of Srinagar suffered heart-attack in Kolkatta on Wednesday morning. He was shifted to hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.

His relatives told KNT that instead of handing over the body to his family back home in Kashmir, authorities buried it near a mosque in Howrah Bridge area. “We have been requesting authorities and even contacted district administration but nobody listen to us,” they said.

They said authorities in Kolkatta cite lockdown as the reason and they say due to Covid-19 scare they are unable to send the body to Kashmir. The family members appealed authorities to handover the body to them on humanitarian grounds.

The deceased is survived by his parents, wife and little daughter. (KNT)

SRINAGAR APRIL 8 (PTK): District administration Srinagar on Wednesday said that no extra need to be paid for groceries which are being delivered at home as per the orders of government.

People have been complaining that stores owners have been asking them to pay 20 to 30 percent more than MRP for home delivery.

Authorities have said that anyone who is asking to pay extra, file complaint against them and action will be taken aganist them.

“No extra is required to be paid. We need specific complaint to initiate action under The DM Act which includes upto 2 years imprisonment and/or fine. Shall be waiting for details of bill/payment/name of store or shop for initiating action”, district administration Srinagar said(PTK)

Srinagar, April 8 (GNS): Test reports of at least 33 more persons returned positive for coronavirus disease on Wednesday, taking the number of COVID-19 patients in Jammu and Kashmir to 158.

Among the fresh cases include 11 from SKIMS Soura, 19 from Chest Disease hospital and three from Jammu, sources said.

A doctor told GNS that reports of 100 samples received from JLNM hospital Rainwari, District Hospital Pulwama and GMC Anantnag were tested at CD lab and their reports were received today.

“19 of them came out to be positive,” the doctor said.

Among these 19, the doctor said is cases from Chattbal, Eidgah areas of Srinagar besides Pulwama and Kulgam districts.

Those who tested positive at SKIMS are said to be residents of Srinagar (5), Baramulla (1), Bandipora (4) and Kupwara (1).

Regarding four patients from Bandipora, they said have a history of contact with previous patients and are aged 16, 38, 30 and 36 years old respectively.

Five patients from Srinagar are said to have travel history to Nigeria and they are aged 33, 35, 31, 41 and 46 years old respectively.

One patient is from Tangmarg and he is said to be around 70 years and contact of the previous COVID-19 patient.

The other patient is said to 16-year-old from Kupwara who had returned from Nizamuddin New Delhi.

With these fresh cases, the number of COVID-19 patients in J&K has gone up 158. Among them, 152 are active cases—124 in Kashmir and 27 In Jammu. While four patients in J&K—one in Kashmir and 3 in Jammu—have been discharged, three patients, all from Valley have died of the disease. (GNS)

‘Search operation going on to sanitize the area’

Srinagar, April 8 (GNS): A JeM militant was killed in a gunfight with government forces in Sopore area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Wednesday.

Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar (IPS) told GNS that while militant was killed, searches are still underway at encounter site.

He identified the slain militant has as Sajad Ahmad Dar resident of Saidapora, Sopore. The top police officer of the Kashmir said that the slain militant was active from 2018 and a number of cases were registered against him for “subversive activities.”

“The slain militant was involved in recruiting youth for joining militancy in north Kashmir,” IGP said.

Searches in progress to clear the area and to ensure all explosives are cleared at the encounter site, he said.

A joint team of army’s 22 RR, 179 battalion CRPF and SOG had cordoned off Gulabad area of Arampora Sopore on Tuesday evening following inputs about the presence of militants in the area.

Following 14-hours long siege, the gunfight broke out after the government forces approached the target spot where the militants were hiding.

Last evening, the forces had also installed lights so as to prevent the escape of militant owing to darkness, they said.

A police officer said the cordon-and-search operation was launched in the area following specific information about the presence of some militants.(GNS)

Srinagar, April 8: Test reports of at least 14 more persons returned positive for coronavirus disease on Wednesday, taking the number of COVID-19 patients in Jammu and Kashmir to 139.

Among the fresh cases include 11 from SKIMS Soura and three from Jammu, sources said.

The persons who tested positive in Kashmir Valley are residents of Srinagar, Baramulla and Bandipora districts respectively, they said. The total number of cases was likely to bigger as details regarding test result of samples collected in other labs including Jammu were yet to receive.

They said four patients are from Bandipora with history of contact with previous patients and are aged 16, 38, 30 and 36 years old respectively.

Five patients are from Srinagar with travel history to Nigeria and they are aged 33, 35, 31, 41 and 46 years old respectively.

One patient is from Tangmarg and he is said to around 70 years and a contact of previous COVID-19 patient.

The other patient is said to be 16-year-old from Kupwara who had returned from Nizamudin New Delhi.

With these fresh cases, the number of COVID-19 patients in J&K has gone up 139. Among them, 132 are active cases—105 in Kashmir and 27 In Jammu. While four patients in J&K—one in Kashmir and 3 in Jammu—have been discharged, three patients, all from Valley have died of the disease. (GNS)

Anantnag, April 8, KNT: Unidentified miscreants broke open the treasuries of Markazi Jamia Masjid and Ziyarat Malik Dawood (RA) of Hakura area of Achabal Anantnag and looted the cash inside them.

Sources told Kashmir News Trust that some miscreants looted cash from the donation boxes after breaking open the lock of the mosque and shrine late yesterday night.

The matter came to light few villagers learned about the loot and called up police.

On being informed, police reached the spot and started an investigation into the matter.

Locals said that there was unaccounted cash into the Mosque’s and Shrine’s treasuries and all the cash has been looted. The alleged alleged that this is the sixth such loot in the district and police have not arrested any accused in this connection so far. (KNT)