NEW DELHI: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today took a follow up of Government Medical College Jammu following the urgent meeting held yesterday to address certain concerns raised by the public.
He also, at the same time, reviewed the COVID management in other Government Medical Colleges including Kathua, Rajouri and Doda as well as Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, Kashmir. At the meeting, Dr Jitendra Singh was informed by Principal GMC Jammu, Dr Shashi Sudan Sharma that as per the instructions issued yesterday, the exercise to Audit oxygen and ventilators has already been initiated. Similarly, the Principal also informed that the process to engage MBBS and PG students in the ward work had also begun. Dr. Shashi Sudhan Sharma further informed the Minister that following his directions yesterday, evacuation of RN Chopra Nursing Home has been started and the chambers/rooms occupied by Doctors will hereafter be used for Covid patients. She also informed that the ventilators under PM Care have been received and will be used after certain technicalities are resolved in the shortest possible time.
Dr Shahid Iqbal, IAS, Secretary, Incharge COVID Care, who was also present at the meeting, informed that the decisions taken at yesterday’s meeting are being earnestly followed up and for the purpose of Audit, a separate Committee has also been constituted. Meanwhile, Dr Jitendra Singh has written to Deputy Commissioner Kathua, Rahul Yadav, who is the Nodal Authority for Udhampur-Kathua-Doda Lok Sabha constituency, directing him that the existing amount of Rs 2.5 crore in his MP Fund account may be allocated for setting up of Oxygen manufacturing plants and other COVID related facilities in his constituency. He said, he had taken this decision in view of the unprecedented crisis arising out of the pandemic, for which each one of us is expected to contribute whatever resources are available. Principal GMC Jammu updated the Minister that two Oxygen Plants each of 1200 lpm capacity have been set up at GMC Jammu.
A 1000 lpm Oxygen plant has also been set up in Chest and Diseases Hospital, Jammu. Further, in Govt. Hospital, Gandhi Nagar another 1000 lpm plant has been set up. In addition to this, two more plants are being set up at GMC Jammu to augment its oxygen capacity. With regard to the buffer stock of oxygen cylinders, Dr Singh was informed that presently buffer stock of 400 cylinders is present at GMC Jammu. The Union Minister was taking stock at a high level review meeting with the Principals of Govt. Medical Colleges across J&K and Heads of various Departments of SKIMS, Srinagar. He also asked for update on yesterday’s decision for the audit of oxygen cylinders and ventilators at GMC Jammu. Speaking during the meeting, Dr. Jitendra Singh impressed upon all the Principals of Government Medical Colleges across J&K to collaborate with the administration for the augmentation of ventilators and oxygen capacity in the hospitals so that no one would suffer for the lack of ventilators and oxygen.
Dr. Jitendra Singh again emphasized that audit of oxygen cylinders and ventilators must be conducted and the same should be published for the equitable distribution in time of distress for critical patients and to dispel the doubts among people. The Minister advised that Post graduate and final year undergraduate medicine students may be engaged at GMC and other associated hospitals and NGOs, social volunteers may also be called to assist in this pandemic and to fight the problem of lack of human resource. Dr. Jitendra Singh stressed during the meeting that wherever technical difficulties creep in related to the use of Oxygen plants or ventilators, the same must be communicated in real time to the concerned officials or directly to him so that it will be corrected in time using experienced Mechanical Engineers, biomedical engineers or other technical staff. Principal, GMC, Srinagar, Dr. Samia Rashid informed the Minister that everything is under control as of now even when the patients with comorbidities, mostly young, sometimes with double pneumonia come to the hospital requiring more hospitalization.
The recovery rate of Covid patients is satisfactory at GMC Srinagar and associated hospitals as there is no deficiency of oxygen or ventilators as oxygen plants are fully functional and many to be installed in due course of time. Principal GMC Doda, Dr. Dinesh Kumar also informed the Minister that 270 Covid beds are available as of now and only 30-40 patients require oxygen as the recovery rate of Covid patients being too high. There is no shortage of oxygen or ventilators as 750 LPM oxygen plant has been installed recently. Principal GMC Kathua thanked the Minister for taking timely steps when technical snag of Oxygen generation plant at GMC was reported triggering panic which has now resumed supply after timely intervention by Dr. Jitendra Singh. Dr. Jitendra Singh also told the Principals that a confidence building message has to go out loud and clear that premier institutions like GMC will ensure that not a single death occurs on account of Oxygen unavailability.
Dr. Singh assured that the Union Government is committed to support the UT administration in every possible way and to fill in missing gaps where required so as to save lives and improve the health infrastructure of the UT.
