Srinagar: Mobile internet continued to remain suspended across Kashmir for fifth consecutive day after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo.
In Pulwama and Shopian, however, mobile phones too have not been restored yet causing huge inconvenience to people amid Covid-19 pandemic.
Doctors and the paramedical staff in the twin south Kashmir districts are having a tough time to communicate with each other and coordinate .
Block Medical Officer Shopian’s Zainapora Dr Khalid Abbas told Kashmir Reader admitted healthcare system has got affected due to the communication shutdown.
“Due to the suspension of phone communication, the healthcare system has been hit amid Covid-19 pandemic. We are facing difficulties in contact tracing and other Covid related mechanisms,” he said.
According to him, they were not able to communicate with doctors and healthcare workers posted in the district. “This is affecting our fight against Coronavirus. Besides this, the expecting mothers are getting hugely affected,” Dr Khalid added.
Chief Medical Officer in Pulwama, Dr Haseena Mir, however, averred that they manage to communicate amid difficulties.
“Through there are difficulties but still we manage to communicate with our doctors and health workers. We have BSNL, landline and control room functioning normally here,” she said.
People hailing from these two district stranded in different parts of the country too are worried about their families back home.
A student of Pulwama, stranded in Haryana said that he could not talk to his family for three days. “It was only when my dad managed to call me from a BSNL number,” he said. This
The phone services except for BSNL and internet was suspended in Kashmir on May 6 to prevent protests against the killing of Naikoo. Mobile phones were restored on Friday night in eight Valley districts.

KALEEM GEELANI