To fight corona virus disease in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor and the administration are apparently engrossed in taking steps deemed necessary to contain the spread and minimise to the barest possible levels, its impact in whatsoever form and manner. It is noteworthy that regular meetings are convened to monitor and assess the situation wherein taking stock of efforts made by the concerned departments engaged with the fight against COVID-19 and evolving newer strategies are the points reportedly receiving maximum attention. In fact , what is required is to evolve strategies to address emerging situation on the ground which keeps on changing in its volatility and in varied cause specifics. Universal usage of masks has been stressed on, whichis, perhaps, the primary and an elementary precautionary measure which must be adequately supplied to our frontline workers . At the outset, they are the arms, the tools, the modes and the actual fighters against the virus. It will be really a travesty of things if these personnel from medical profession, para- medical staff, other employees working in hospitals, staff with ambulance vehicles , municipal workers , police personnel and the like are not provided with the protective gears wherever needed and masks of approved standards which can be effectively used for over 5 to 8 hours.
Majority of the people venturing out of their homes to buy essentials under pressing circumstances, are seen wearing masks , but hassles free availability at chemist shops and other outlets of these masks is still not ensured which should be taken care of by the administration. Needless to add, masks are an elementary protection against droplets from coughing and sneezing or discharge from a running nose hence we reiterate the need to have them easily available in the market. However, an important decision in respect of installing decontamination tunnels in all the hospitals on priority , is a welcome step and deserves to be implemented as quickly as possible. Hopefully , that should be on the priority as directed by the Lieutenant Governor. While Srinagar Municipal Corporation has installed and made operational too, the first disinfectant tunnel for decontamination and sanitization at Chest Disease Hospital in the city , which we commend , in the same way it may be installed at Jammu too at an early date and in other hospitals also so that while entering and leaving , hospital staff and others visiting the hospitals, get duly sanitised instantly.
Lieutenant Governor, however, has noted with satisfaction that the UT has been able to control the spread of the disease due to proactive participation of the people across Jammu and Kashmir. Looking to the overall enormity of the structure and behaviour of this respiratory virus, lot needs to be done without any let up which includes at the top, intensification of the awareness campaign. Since the lockdown has its own impact in very strictly limiting mobility and social contacts , behavioural changes in the people were imperative to be brought about and at the same time, susceptibilities to problems like stresses and even depression in individual cases needed to be avoided firmly and resisted . More than half tenor of lockdown is over and in the rest , better results and flattening the rising curve of reported suspected cases in the UT and from across the entire country would instil more hopes in the people to crush and defeat the virus.
Our Auyurvedic medicines and system are known for better therapeuticresults. As of now, that Indian way of medicines may not have a definite anti-dote for coronavirus but immunity boosting measures are in plenty in that system which the Lt. Governor has referred to and advised people to try such boosters for self care during the COVID crisis. Tablighi religious congregation at Delhi has been a cause of concern in that many participants from various states of the country ,including some from Jammu and Kashmir participated and many of them were found to be infected with the virus about which directives have been given for conducting 100 percent testing of such people and their contacts to ensure that the infection did not spread in Jammu and Kashmir. Difficulties are, however, encounteredby the administration due to Tablighi Jamaat movements and in tracing them and hotspots needed to be identified as otherwise , the disease could spread fast. On the other hand, our duty and commitment towards inmates in orphanages, old age homes, juvenile homes etc should not get diluted and all efforts needed to be made in ensuring that they received supplies of the essentials required on day to day basis . Such houses needed to be mapped and a data base prepared for pointed action.
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