As the Covid-19 unleashes its carpet-bomb-morbidity in Kashmir, hundreds of individuals and groups have redoubled their efforts to restrict the possibly colossal costs. They are doing anything and everything and supplementing the efforts of the government as well. Right now, Oxygen and food retains the top slots, reports
Khalid Bashir Gura
Kashmir’s major charity, the Athrout handing over six high-value ventilators to the management of Chest Disease Hospital in Srinagar in April. The hospital was the first designed Covid-19 Hospital. Pic: Special arrangement
As the second wave of Covid-19, now being referred to as Covid19-2.0, rages through Kashmir, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO), frontline workers, and volunteers on the ground are gearing up once again to tackle the visibly disastrous consequences. Driven by community concern and lived experiences of crisis management, a number of these groups are providing people oxygen concentrators, cylinders, personal protection equi
Kashmir Authorities Restrain Medical Staff From Talking to Media Even as Covid Cases Surge
The district administration in Srinagar has also barred manufacturers from supplying medical oxygen to private societies and NGOs, at a time when calls for oxygen supplies have shot up.
Workers refilling medical oxygen for supply to various government hospitals for COVID-19 patients, in Jammu. Photo: PTI
Rights09/May/2021
Srinagar: The authorities in Kashmir have issued directions to the health services department to desist from speaking with journalists even as its healthcare system shows signs of buckling under the weight of increasing caseload of new COVID-19 infections.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has made it difficult for charities to procure oxygen for patients in home isolation, triggering an outcry at the throttling of what has been a lifeline for most of the Valley’s Covid patients.
Srinagar deputy commissioner Aijaz Asad on Thursday directed oxygen manufacturers in the city to continue supplies only to designated hospitals or clinics and “stop supply to any private society/NGO with immediate effect”.
The move, which handicaps the charities that have been the bulwark of the Valley’s fight against Covid, reflects the government’s perennial distrust of NGOs and suspicion of any kind of activism, even if its objective is to save lives.
Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir – Authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir have barred doctors from speaking to media and directed the oxygen manufacturing units to stop supplies to the NGOs and private users.
The order issued by the region’s department of health on Thursday came as it battles a deadly wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, with hospitals running short of beds and patients scrambling for oxygen cylinders, medicines and medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators.
“All Chief Medical Officers/Medical Superintendents/Block Medical officers of Kashmir Division are enjoined upon to issue instructions to all the staff under the administrative domain to desist from media interactions,” said the order signed by Dr Mushtaq Rather, director of health services in the disputed region.