Suspect dies in Leh, report awaited
* 1000 Kashmiris stranded in Iran to be evacuated
Fayaz Bukhari / Govind Sharma
SRINAGAR/JAMMU, Mar 8: Jammu and Kashmir has reported first coronavirus case as a woman under quarantine in Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu with Iran travel history has tested positive while another person will be re-tested for COVID-19.
A woman from Kargil who lives in Jammu and had returned from Iran pilgrimage last week and another person from North Korea were symptomatic. They are under quarantine in GMC Jammu since this week and fled from the hospital during night few days ago but were brought back in the morning.
Their samples were taken and two days ago they were declared of having highly viral infection. But sources said that this evening woman’s test has been reported positive. This is the first coronavirus positive case in Jammu and Kashmir.
However, the other person’s test result shows highly viral infection so his sample has been taken again and is being sent for testing.
And in the meantime, the Coronavirus testing facility is starting in SKIMS, Srinagar from tomorrow after the staff was trained today while two such laboratories at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar and Jammu will be operational in next 2-3 days.
Financial Commissioner Health, Atal Dulloo, said that SKIMS is ready to start testing for coronavirus from tomorrow. “Reagents have been received by SKIMS Srinagar. Training session has also been conducted by ICMR professionals today through video conferencing”, he said.
This will be first such facility in Jammu and Kashmir and it will be followed by two more testing facilities at GMC Srinagar and Jammu.
“GMC Jammu has also received the reagents. They have also attended training session. They are expected to start coronavirus testing in the next two to three days. GMC Srinagar is being provided reagents in two to three days after which they will attend training and start the coronavirus testing immediately thereafter”, he added.
Dulloo today spoke to Secretary Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of India, Preeti Sudhan, and Director General Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Balram Bhargava, regarding starting of testing for coronavirus in J&K. They assured him all help from Government of India in fighting against coronavirus.
In the meantime, an official said that over 1000 Kashmiris including 350 students are to be evacuated from Iran as they are stranded there after Tehran airport was closed due to Coronavirus scare. The quarantine of 1000 people in Kashmir is a major challenge for the administration in Kashmir.
It may be mentioned here that around 250 people have arrived in J&K from China and Iran and other Coronavirus hit countries. However, no one tested positive in Kashmir.
Meanwhile, after two positive cases, Leh today reported first Coronavirus related death after which the whole Chushot Gongna village to which all the three belong, was sealed by the administration of Union Territory of Ladakh.
“A 73-year-old man identified as Mohd Ali of village Chushot Gongna of Leh district had returned from Iran on February 28. Since his landing in Leh, he was under home quarantine and our medical team was monitoring his situation but on March 6 after he showed some symptoms, he was admitted to SNM Hospital Leh,” said Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education, Ladakh UT, Rigzin Sampheal.
Sampheal said in the morning of March 7, the condition of the patient deteriorated and he passed away today. “But we cannot immediately declare reason of his death as his sample has been sent for testing to NIV Pune and the report is awaited but as per the preliminary assessment of our medical team, the patient had urinary tract infection and also some past history,” the Commissioner Secretary said while addressing a press conference at CMO Office Leh. He was also accompanied by CMO Leh, Dr Motup Dorjey.
He said that the report of the deceased patient will come within 2-3 days and then only they will be in a position to tell the exact reason of his death. Sampheal said Chushot Gongna village to which all the three men (one suspected coronavirus death and two positive cases) belong, has been sealed by the authorities as per the protocols of Government of India. He said it is a small village and all the villagers living inside are being provided all essential facilities by the authorities.
Sampheal said they have contacted majority of the passengers who travelled with these three from Delhi to Leh on Air India flight number 445 on February 27 and Spicejet flight number SG-151 on February 28 but with some of those contact couldn’t be established, so they have appealed all those passengers who travelled to Leh in these flights to inform the Health Department if they observe some COVID-19 symptoms in them.
Briefing the media about two COVID-19 positive patients, he said both are admitted at SNM Hospital and are said to be stable and in good health. He further informed that about 1200 people including Kashmiris and Ladakhis stranded in Iran will first land in Delhi and after their proper screening and sanitization, they will be brought to Leh and Kashmir, respectivel. “Our medical teams and other staff are well protected with necessary equipment as per the Government protocol and there is nothing to worry,” Sampheal added.
In Jammu, a Government spokesperson, while briefing about the screening of the suspected cases, said, “310 cases have been put under active surveillance till date and 115 of these have completed the surveillance period of 28 days.”
Meanwhile, Resident Doctors Association (RDA) Jammu today demanded that the Government should provide proper masks and sanitizers to doctors and revoke the transfer order of DAJ president Dr Balvinder Singh, failing which resident doctors of GMC Jammu will go on mass leave on March 10 along with DAJ.
Doctors Association Jammu (DAJ) also appealed to Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu to intervene and instruct the health department to provide masks and sanitizers to all frontline health workers. If masks and sanitizers are not available atleast talk to doctors and assure them that the Government will provide them masks and sanitizers later, the Association said.
“If doctors don’t wear mask they have high probability of getting infected. One doctor will get symptoms of Coronavirus after 2 weeks. Meanwhile, in these 2 weeks he can infect thousands of patients, thus, putting his and patients life on high risk,” the Association said and also demanded to revoke transfer order of Dr Balvinder Singh, who was allegedly transferred on demanding masks and sanitizers for all doctors of Jammu division.
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