RIGHT DECISION

The recent significant decision taken by JK Chief Secretary to bring the levels of pressure on the health infrastructure here will go a long way to streamline the process.

The need was felt as despite fresh lockdown everyday hundreds of new positive cases are detected infected by Covid-19. The government said that referral hospitals will now admit only such COVID-19 patients who have been referred to by other hospitals of Jammu Division. Meanwhile, Gandhi Nagar Hospital and COVID Care Centre, Baghwati Nagar, shall now be primary centers for admission of COVID-19 patients in Jammu city.

The Chief Secretary said that it has been felt that the present practice of hospitalization of COVID-19 patients’ needs to be regulated so as to avoid unnecessary strain on the health care system. He further said, that the hospital beds of tertiary hospitals are required to be kept available for more severe cases who may need intensive monitoring in a hospital setting.

Keeping in view better management of COVID-19 patients, the protocol with regard to management of COVID-19 patients will be revised and all asymptomatic patients with no co-morbidity and not vulnerable otherwise will be allowed to remain under home quarantine, if they have a separate room facility at home and have downloaded the AAROGYA Setu application on their phones, the Chief Secretary said.

He further said that all such patients will be provided with a pulse oximeter to monitor their oxygen saturation levels and in event of drop in oxygen saturation below 90% they shall immediately report to hospitals. A poster shall also be put up outside their home displaying therein the quarantine status. Reach out teams constituted by the Health Department shall monitor the health status of these patients, Chief Secretary maintained.