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 interacted with the DDC Chairpersons and Municipal Council Presidents of Udhampur Lok Sabha Constituency vis-à-vis Covid-19 management and asked them to regularly follow up COVID related facilities in their respective districts, constituencies and areas. He said that their role, being the elected representatives, becomes imperative to tackle the Covid19 pandemic in their respective constituencies.During the interaction, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the elected DDC representatives having the legitimate authority can play a pivotal role in this pandemic using their resources & authority so as to live up to the expectations of people. The Minister also impressed upon them to conduct regular meetings with the concerned Deputy Commissioners & top health officials of the district so as to bring to the notice of the concerned the important requirements related to Covid19 management be that ventilators, oxygen concentrators required on war footing basis.The Minister emphasized yet again during the interaction to revive the free ‘Tele-Consultation' facilities for rural and far flung areas for which the guidelines already exist for the empanelment of recognised doctors on a shift wise basis and will reduce burden of patients at District Hospitals through indiscriminate referral system.
Dr. Jitendra Singh while appreciating the efforts of frontline workers vis-à-vis vaccination drive across J&K said that on an average according to the recent statistics available, more than 62 percent vaccination has been done in J&K which is much higher than the rest of the country. He emphasized that DDC Chairpersons can again play an important role in vaccination drive by establishing vaccination centres at Panchayat levels so as to assist locally and administratively in it.He stressed that the elected representatives must involve themselves in Covid Care Centres established at Panchayat levels so as to boost the healthcare system at grassroots level and confidence among those patients admitted there.On the current Covid positivity and fatality rate across J&K, the Minister said that from last many days, the Covid19 fatality and positivity has decreased considerably which is a good sign during pandemic and can boost the confidence of people vis-à-vis healthcare facilities that have been revamped up across J&K.Responding to the concerns raised by the DDC Chairpersons about the treatment of non-covid critical patients, mainly cancer patients requiring chemotherapy and kidney patients requiring dialysis, the Minister said that the efforts are being made to earmark beds for such patients at GMC & other associated hospitals now as the Covid19 cases have started decreasing from last many days.The participating DDC Chairpersons and Municipal Council Presidents thanked the Union Minister for sending the COVID related material from his personal resources for the Udhampur Lok Sabha Constituency and for establishing oxygen plants wherever required. They also thanked him for allocating Rs 2.5 crore from his MP fund for Covid facilities in the constituency.The DDC Chairpersons acknowledged that after Dr Jitendra Singh's intervention, there is now sufficient oxygen supply in the hospitals and the COVID-19 beds have also been increased after the Minister took up the issue on a war footing basis.