JAMMU: Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha today visited Government Medical College, Jammu to review Covid clinical management measures being undertaken by the Hospital administration. Emphasizing on strengthening the healthcare workforce, the Lt Governor directed for hiring additional Paramedical staff, besides rational utilization of existing resources to ensure effective patient care management.
The Lt Governor directed that at all times, Senior Doctors, Nurses, and Paramedics’ presence in clinical areas to be ensured by Hospital Administration. He also stressed upon optimized supportive care for Covid patients and round-the-clock care by the hospital staff. Dr. Shashi Sudhan Sharma, Principal & Dean GMC & AH’s Jammu informed the Lt Governor that as many as 250 nurses would join GMC Jammu within three days, substantially adding to the available healthcare workforce. Laying special emphasis on providing better facilities to the patients, the Lt Governor directed the senior doctors to ensure proper availability of all medicines, nutritious meals, round-the-clock care of patients, food and water for attendants of the patients, and proper entry passes to the attendants.
“Senior doctors should also take the front line in informing people to adopt safe practices and Covid protocol. Seniors must leverage their role as both a doctor, caring & treating patients and a public health advocate containing Covid pandemic”, observed the Lt Governor. The Lt Governor sought the status of two new Oxygen plants which are being set up by the J&K UT administration at GMC Jammu to augment its oxygen capacity. While reviewing the progress being made for establishing additional 100-bedded Covid ward, the Lt Governor directed the Principal and senior doctors of GMC Jammu to ensure the operationalization of the said facility at the earliest. The Lt Governor also enquired about Covid care facilities, availability of oxygen support beds, functionality of Oxygen Generation Plants, besides compliance of earlier directions including regular rounds of HoDs and senior doctors in the wards to examine the patients. Earlier, the Lt Governor visited Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) 500-bedded under construction Covid hospital site at Bhagwati Nagar and took first-hand appraisal of the on-going work. The fully air-conditioned make-shift Covid facility with 125 ICU beds and ventilators will be completed by May 25, 2021. While enquiring about the patient-care facilities to be made available at the said Covidcare Hospital, the Lt Governor was informed by the officers of DRDO about installation of Oxygen Generation Plant, triage facility, availability of Doctors, Paramedics and other important aspects of the Covid care management.
The Lt Governor directed the Health Department to provide all support to DRDO, including arrangements of health related facilities, hiring/posting of doctors, paramedics, and other healthcare workforce well before the formal functioning of the hospital. While having a briefing on the road connectivity to the Hospital site and other related works, the Lt Governor set deadlines for completion of the road and other auxiliary works. He directed the concerned departments to make sure that all necessary arrangements are made well in advance. It was informed that Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) tanks with a capacity of 40 metric tons (2 tanks of 20 metric tons each) would be installed in this Covid care facility, besides the whole structure is prefabricated and fire retardant.
Pertinently, DRDO is setting up 500-bedded Covid facility, one each in Srinagar and Jammu, which will substantially increase the Covid dedicated bed availability in J&K. BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary; Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary, Power Development Department and Information Department; Dr. Raghav Langer, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Anshul Garg, Deputy Commissioner Jammu; Dr. Renu Sharma Director Health Services, Jammu, and other concerned officers accompanied the Lt Governor during his visits.
Officers of the DRDO present were Dr. Anil Khurana, Chief Engineer, Harpreet Singh, Senior Administrative Officer, and Kamlesh Kumar, Dy CCE.
