Srinagar: The Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Sunday demanded that the government designate coronavirus hospitals in the valley and procure ventilators before it is too late.
DAK President Dr Suhail Naik said that Kashmir has about a hundred ventilators and all of them mostly remain occupied. “Our health care system has fragilities and we don’t have even evolved private health sector in Jammu and Kashmir. Now, in addition to the perennial challenge, if we face an immediate crisis we can collapse as an institution. The health infrastructure in Kashmir is overburdened and it can’t take extra load and will crumble with any unprecedented crisis,” he said in a statement.
DAK said that it is a bitter truth that even a cancer patient in Kashmir gets appointment after months and the healthcare facilities are not up to the mark.
“It is for government for make preparations to cope with a third-stage outbreak of the coronavirus. And government must identify ample space in major private city hospitals, army hospital, hotels to expand bed capacity,” the DAK said.
It said immediate expansion is needed at newly upgraded five medical colleges and in district and sub-district hospitals.
“Further, there must be dedicated COVID-19 critical care units in hospitals with round the clock oxygen supply, ventilators, and trained critical care specialists,” the DAK said.
“It is very unfortunate that government has failed to provide sanitizers and PPE to health workers, thereby putting their lives at risk,” it said.
“How can a doctor manage a respiratory patient when he knows Covid-19 is a fatal virus with fast transmission spreading like wildfire. With non-availability of PPE there is a threat that we may lose our colleagues, their family members, and rest will develop psychological disturbances and depression,” DAK said.
The DAK said that it is mandatory to frame rotational duty roster of health workers, so that the frontline health force is not exposed to the dreaded virus.
“We must understand that Covid-19 can’t be fought by doing paperwork but by pragmatic approach and by making our health care system strong,” it said.
“It is important to understand that no system may be good enough. We have the example of Italy, Spain and China before our eyes. We are not best equipped to respond to such a big human tragedy,” it said.
“We warn people that if they won’t follow advisories and administrative orders religiously, then the biggest human tragedy is on the cards and we can lose our dear ones,” it warned.
DAK appealed people to stay indoors and break the transmission chain of Covid-19 saying that it is the only and best remedy available with people to save themselves.
“The government should also restore 4G internet services so that patients can be examined through video calls and can decrease face to face contact with patients,” the DAK said.

KR Desk