Advisor Farooq Khan calls for strict adherence to social distancing

KATHUA: Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor, Farooq Khan Thursday called for strict adherence to social distancing and urged for use of washable masks instead of singleuse masks, saying it may become another health concern among the users. He stated this while reviewing Covid-19 prevention and service delivery mechanism put in place by the District Administration Kathua. He appreciated the efforts of district administration in containing the spread of contagion and providing quarantine facilities to over 3200 people, who entered JK after 23rd March.

During the meeting with District heads of various departments, the Advisor enquired about the ration being provided to the ration card holders, migrant labourers, destitute and the needy families amid the restrictions. He further inquired about the scale of the ration being provided to each family during this period. He directed the AD Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, to immediately start distribution of two-month free ration among the AAY and Priority Household ration card families. Advisor Khan also inquired about the preparations made by the Health Department to combat the pandemic. He sought details about the stock of COVID-19 testing kits, isolation capacity of Associated Hospital of Kathua GMC and overall Health infrastructure in the District. He directed the Deputy Commissioner, O P Bhagat and the CMO to issue an advisory to all those inmates, who have completed 14-day quarantine to isolate themselves for few more days at their homes for the safety of their families. He asked the District Administration to devise a mechanism to open book shops in a segregated manner to facilitate students without creating gathering.

The Advisor complimented the district administration for smooth migration of nomadic families from the plain to hilly areas during the lockdown. He directed the engineers of PHE and PDD to maintain the supply of drinking water and electricity in the district as well as at all quarantine centres so that people do not face inconvenience. Farooq Khan also visited Lakhanpur and took first-hand appraisal of the arrangements put in place to regulate the entry of traffic inside the UT. He was informed that a 24X7 control room has been established at Lakhanpur to facilitate the trucks carrying essential consumable items and ambulances carrying patients. He was also told about the SOP being followed at Lakhanpur for carrying patients in ambulances and private vehicles. The Advisor also visited the quarantine centre at Lakhanpur and interacted with the inmates there. He also visited the Associated Hospital of GMC Kathua and inspected the arrangements made by the department to meet any exigency due to the pandemic and running the routine OPD at the hospital. DC and the SSP gave details of various measures taken to facilitate people amid preventive restrictions. He was told that ICDS Anganwari workers and helpers are providing door to door dry nutrition to the beneficiaries including children and expecting mothers. Labor department is facilitating financial assistance through DBT to 3476 registered labourers in the district, he was informed. It was further informed that the Police, in collaboration with the volunteers is ensuring delivery of essential items and medicines at the door step of the household on just a mobile call.

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