At a time when our society is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic and our brave health care workers are at the forefront struggling to cope with this scourge, JKSCD appeals to honorable Lieutenant Governor of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir Shri G.C Murmu and his administration to personally intervene and restructure some COVID-19 fighting measures at the grassroots level. With the increase in new cases with each passing day, first and foremost we need to ensure that our health care workers who are on the frontline in this fight are adequately protected since safe health care workers are an effective and invaluable resource. The statistical modelling of the viral spread actually is highly predictable both locally and globally, as such, I cannot stress the fact enough that we need to protect our doctors and paramedics and provide them adequate personal protection equipment so that they can continue doing what they do best and contribute in a safe and professional environment.
JKSCD, in consultation with its' members requests the government to take over all hotels in our UT for effective quarantine of suspected/infected cases. We recommend providing each room with a separate washroom for each patient as we are on the verge of exhausting hospital resources. Keeping all in one single room in hospital defeats the very purpose of quarantine. Moreover, proper provision needs to be made to address the day to day needs of these patients. They need to be well fed, kept warm and comfortable. We recommend that other departments also be taken on board regarding this issue as, we fear in the coming days the department of health will not be able to cope up with increasing pressure on its limited resources; as such an integrated approach from all of us is need of the hour.JKSCD requests all administrators in the health department to strengthen basic infrastructure in their facilities and facilitate the smooth working of their clinical staff. This is also an excellent opportunity to retrospect and restrategise all those processes that have proved teneous in the present crisis.