Facing a surge in the positive cases and related deaths, the J&K administration on Monday designated an indoor stadium, three varsity campuses and a marriage hall in Srinagar as COVID-19 facilities to brace itself up for any eventuality.
An official said J&K recorded the highest deaths — 25 — since the pandemic broke out last year. “Fourteen deaths were reported in the Jammu division and 11 in the Kashmir division,” the official said.
Positive cases continue to show an upward trend, as 2,135 cases were detected on Monday.
“J&K is at present treating 20,601 active cases. Such cases had come down to under 600 in March.”
The Srinagar administration established an additional 1,300-bed capacity.
Seven COVID Care Centers have been established at the Kashmir University, Zakura Campus; the Hyderpora facility; the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Srinagar; the Indoor Stadium Haft Chinar Srinagar; the Marriage Hall Sanathnagar; the Haj House Bemina and the IMPA Hostel on M.A. Road, officials said.
“Besides these facilities, 1,300 more beds will be ready in the next three days,” Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Muhammad Aijaz Asad, said.
Officials said the patients with mild symptoms will be accommodated in these additional facilities, which will be augmented with low-flow oxygen supply.
The National Conference (NC) expressed concern over slow progress on boosting up the availability of oxygen at all government designated COVID-19 hospitals across the Union Territory (UT).
“The areas declared as containment zones should also be provided with auxiliary oxygen beds. The measure will ease the burden from primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare facilities,” NC spokesman Imran Nabi Dar said.
The NC demanded that the administration should ensure minimum 36-hour oxygen back up in every hospital across J&K.
“We are concerned over the reports of scarcity of critical COVID-19 drugs in hospitals.”
