Jammu:Former Health Minister and State Vice President BJP, J&K, Sham Lal Sharma on Saturday expressed serious concern over shortage of manpower in the Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, due to which the patient care has been severely affected amidst Covid pandemic.
This was stated by Sham Lal Sharma during his visit to the Government Medical College and Hospital to take stock of the situation in the wake of second wave of the Corona pandemic. Mayor JMC Chander Mohan Gupta and ex MLC Romesh Gupta also accompanied the former minister.
The BJP leaders had detailed interaction with patients enquiring about the medical facilities being provided to them at the GMC Jammu. They also met the Principal GMC &H, Dr Shashi Sudan and Medical Superintendents Dr ADS Manhas,Dr Arun Sharma and had a detailed review of the Medicare facilities being provided to the patients there.
The former minister said, the graph of Covid deaths showing a sharp rise during the last few days in Jammu region is a matter of serious concern and needs to be addressed at the earliest. He observed that the Government Medical Colleges is facing acute shortage of manpower due to which the people has been facing hardships. He suggested that GMC Hospital with ICU facilities should be strengthened with provision of adequate trained staff, equipments and medical oxygen. Besides, Level II facilities in the associated hospitals of the Government Medical Colleges, District Hospitals, Army, CRPF and BSF hospitals immediately be expanded by provision of extra beds, manpower, equipments, medical gases to accommodate the increasing number of patients in Union Territory of J&K.
The BJP asserted that Level III facilities i.e, COVID Care Centres for COVID positive patients should be expanded in every district, as was done during last year and their numbers be increased immediately to accommodate asymptomatic positive patients, who doesn't have separate room with toilet facility in their houses. It accounts for less than 80% population in Urban and Rural areas, he added.
Sham Lal stressed for identifying few more hospitals, nursing homes in the city / outside city, where free OPD's should be started after observing the COVID appropriate behaviour, so as to save the patients with chronic diseases.
Raising serious concern over shortage of oxygen in various health institutions, the senior BJP leader appealed to the government that the Oxygen Generation Plants which are under commissioning should be completed without wastage of time.
The senior BJP leader advised the senior doctors for maintaining visioning with junior doctors after regular intervals with an aim to boost their morale. He asserted that the KAS officers who are monitoring the situation of GMC&H, should also work with close coordination with senior doctors of GMC&H to deal with crisis amicably. The doctors should also prescribe less number of medicines to the infected patients as the people are already facing mental trauma amidst pandemic.
Sham Lal also raised serious concern over the alleged black marketing of medical equipments like oxygen cylinders, injections and other COVID-19 related drugs and items in the markets and sought strict action against those indulging such anti-social activities.
The former minister appealed to the people visiting the GMC Hospital to display utmost patience and cooperate with the doctors and other healthcare staff who are working day and night in the battle against Coronavirus. He also urged government that there should be no laxity in providing adequate healthcare facilities to the people of Jammu region amidst Covid pandemic.
Asking the people of J&K to be in touch with BJP leadership for assistance in case of any exigency arising out of COVID-19 related issues, the senior BJP leader said that his party is standing shoulder to shoulder with populace in fight against coronavirus.