758 fresh cases in Valley
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Sept 16: Kashmir today reported eight COVID-19-related deaths taking the death toll in Jammu and Kashmir to 937 while Valley reported 758 fresh cases taking J&K tally to 58,244.
Today’s deaths include two residents of Srinagar and Kupwara besides one each from Budgam, Bandipora, Shopian and Kulgam districts.
Among others, the victims from the Valley include a 70-year-old from Nowhatta Srinagar, a 57-year-old woman from Verinag Anantnag, a 40-year-old from Chadoora Budgam, a 28-year-old man from Gund Ibharim Pattan, a man from Shopain and 70-year-old woman from Umer Colony Lal Bazar
Kashmir reported 758 fresh COVID cases today taking J&K tally to 58,244.
The fresh cases include 225 from Srinagar, 119 Budgam, 92 Baramulla, 70 Pulwama, 37 Anantnag, 74 Kupwara, 42 Bandipora, 13 Kulgam and 86 from Ganderbal.
There are 12,167 positive cases including 256 deaths and 9,961 recoveries from Srinagar, 4,066 cases including 74 deaths, 2,430 recoveries from Budgam, 3,609 cases including 2,459 recoveries and 114 deaths from Baramulla; 3,344 cases including 2,774 recoveries and 62 deaths from Pulwama; 3,013 cases including 54 deaths and 2,219 recoveries from Anantnag; 2,980 cases including 1,973 recoveries and 60 deaths from Kupwara; 2,963 cases including 1,955 and 30 deaths from Bandipora; 2,121 cases including 1,950 recoveries and 41 deaths from Kulgam; 2,291 cases including 1,726 recoveries and 26 deaths from Ganderbal and 1,892 cases including 1,703 recoveries and 30 deaths from Shopian.
Of the total 58,244 cases in Jammu and Kashmir, 38,446 are from Kashmir.
The officials said that total number of active cases in Jammu and Kashmir are 19,503 including 8,549 from Kashmir division.
With 747 more recoveries, the tally of total recoveries in Jammu and Kashmir has reached 37,809 which is 64.91 percent of the total cases which was over 78 percent few days before.
Interestingly, for the first time since COVID-19 outbreak, active cases have reached over 19,500 in J&K.
Non-COVID hospitals asked to conduct surgeries as per SOPs
Irfan Tramboo
The Health Department today ordered the resumption of surgeries at all the non-COVID Hospitals across Kashmir falling under the administrative control of Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir.
It may be mentioned here that the non-COVID surgeries were put at halt across hospitals in Valley immediately after the COVID-19 infection started to spread here.
The manpower of various hospitals was used to cater to the rush of patients and the conduct of such surgeries was halted with immediate effect.
The resumption of these surgeries was ordered by the Director of Health Services who has directed all the officials in the non-COVID hospitals in the peripheries as well as in Srinagar to start carrying out surgeries.
“This is for the information of all Chief Medical Officers/ Medical Superintendents & Block Medical Officers of Kashmir Division that they shall ensure conducting of surgeries in all the non-COVID hospitals of Kashmir Division under their jurisdiction with immediate effect,” a circular issued here read.
All such hospitals have been directed to submit work done statement in this regard in the set format lying with them.
“All the Standard Operating Procedures and protocols shall be adapted during the course of conducting surgeries or meeting emergencies of any nature at non-COVID hospital. Any deviation in this regard shall be viewed seriously,” the circular added.
The officials in the Health Department said that administration was aware of how the non-COVID patient care was getting affected due to the pandemic and that the step has been taken in that direction.
Earlier, various medico bodies had voiced their concerns over the Government focusing entirely on the COVID care with the result, the non-COVID patient care was taking a giant hit.
A doctor, on the condition of anonymity, told Excelsior that the step should have been taken earlier. He said that that the non-COVID patients who were in a need of certain procedures suffered entirely in a different way.
“The non-COVID care took a giant hit; there are patients who have started developing new ailments due to their pre-existing condition; some could not get the timely help, some needed surgeries, though not serious, the effect has been there,” the doctor said.
Notably, SKIMS, Soura ran COVID and non-COVID patient care in parallel and kept on carrying out non-COVID surgeries too apart from GMC’s Super Speciality Hospital, Shireen Bagh that witnessed intermittent disruption after COVID-19 positive cases were reported on and off.
However, the move, doctors said, will help the patients in the peripheries whose procedures witnessed an unprecedented delay.
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