Jammu reports single-day highest 54 deaths, 1418 cases
BSF jawan, 102-yr-old man, 7 kin of security men dead
Ex-MLC, 4 family members of former MLA test +ve
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 17: Jammu and Kashmir today reported single-day highest 73 COVID casualties and 3344 fresh cases. Jammu region recorded all-time high 54 deaths and 1418 new positives. And amidst reports about many COVID victims succumbing to the virus due to casual approach of senior doctors in the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu and Associated Hospitals, Financial Commission Health and Medical Education Atal Dulloo shot off letter to the GMC Principal for frequent rounds of Wards by the senior doctors to attend to the patients. A doctor in the rank of Associate Professor has also exposed senior doctors for not attending to the COVID patients.
Just like past many days, today also Jammu region reported less Corona positive cases than Kashmir but nearly three times more casualties than the Valley. Jammu reported 1418 cases but 54 deaths while Kashmir recorded 1926 cases and 19 casualties.
Spurt in deaths in Jammu region, many of which are being attributed by attendants and family members of the patients to casual approach of senior doctors, majority of whom are still not visiting the COVID Wards, has prompted Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education Atal Dulloo to write a letter to the Principal Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu to ensure frequent rounds of Wards by the senior Faculty members.
Only yesterday, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had directed that senior doctors should take frontline in Corona management. Few days back also, Sinha had called for close monitoring of COVID patients by the senior doctors.
In his letter to the Principal GMC Jammu, Dulloo said mortality rate in COVID positive patients has increased and there is need for reducing it by taking corrective measures.
“It is desirable that the senior Faculty members of the concerned departments of your institution be directed to increase their presence by making frequent rounds of Wards where the COVID positive patients are admitted so that such patients are properly looked after and treated which will help us in reducing the mortality rate,” Dulloo said.
Today’s deaths were almost three times high in Jammu than Kashmir and, as per health experts, the little patient care was one of the reasons for that the others being delayed treatment and arrival to hospitals of the patients.
Family members of COVID positive patients from all Government hospitals including the GMC Jammu, Chest Diseases Hospital, Mother and Child Care (MC) Gandhi Nagar, Super Specialty etc made repeated calls to the Excelsior saying the senior doctors were not visiting at all the COVID Wards to examine the patients.
“Only fixed prescribed treatment is being given to all the patients without any examination,” they said, adding Post Graduate students and Nurses are taking care of the patients.
Such is the situation that even a senior Dental doctor had to write in WhatsApp Group of doctors complaining that no doctor is attending COVID patients in MCH Gandhi Nagar hospital.
The doctor wrote: “If Principal GMC or Head of Department of Medicine GMC is a part of the group, it is my humble request to them kindly make sure that your doctors make rounds & see the patients in the COVID Wards even in MCH Gandhi Nagar Jammu. Patients are really in bad conditions there and they need the monitoring of senior doctors to get proper treatment and care”.
He further said: “I haven’t seen any doctor coming out of their glass chambers in the MCH Gandhi Nagar to do the rounds. Rather, even after repeated personal requests telling them to see the patient of any help, none of the doctors come for any check up. It is only the paramedics & Ward boys who are doing all sort of work there”.
In fact, MCH Gandhi Nagar is not the alone; similar is the case in all Government hospitals where the senior doctors are not visiting the COVID Wards to examine patients leading to massive surge in deaths as the toll reached 54 today.
What to say of examining COVID positive patients, many senior doctors are not even visiting the hospitals at all except the days of VIP visits and reviews. Ever since the OPDs were suspended in the GMC and Associated Hospitals, many senior doctors have stopped even visiting the hospitals.
Family members of the COVID victims were of the view that what was required was not review of healthcare but surprise raids in the Government hospitals by those at the helm of affairs to set the things right or, otherwise, the mortality rate will continue to surge.
At the same time, some health experts also blamed people for delayed arrival of the COVID positive patients in the hospitals.
“Many patients are reporting to the hospitals in advanced stage when their lungs are badly involved. Even today, out of 54 casualties, 10 persons had died at home and were recorded as brought dead in the hospitals,” the experts said and called upon the people to report to nearby medical facility immediately after they develop symptoms.
However, GMC Jammu Principal Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma didn’t agree that the senior doctors are ignoring patients and maintained that the Faculty members are giving their best at this time of pandemic.
She attributed high mortality rate in Jammu to “Variant of Concern”.
“The doctors are doing their best. They are examining the patients. But the fact is that we are also short of staff. In Medicines Department as against sanctioned posts of 29, we have nine only. Four new faculty members have been recruited but only one of them joined and she too has been infected by the virus,” Dr Sharma said, adding the pandemic is very challenging and the patients are very sick.
She added that ICU and CCU are being managed by the faculty members of Anesthesia and Neuro Surgery departments.
Meanwhile, out of 54 Corona casualties in the Jammu region, 24 were reported in Jammu district while Rajouri and Poonch districts showed fresh spike in deaths recording 10 and six fatalities respectively. Five deaths took place in Udhampur, three Kathua and two each in Reasi, Ramban and Samba districts.
A BSF jawan posted at Paloura and a 102-year-old man from Durga Nagar, both in Jammu district were among the COVID victims. Seven kin of security personnel also succumbed to the virus at Command Hospital Udhampur, Military Hospital Satwari, Military Hospital Akhnoor and 150 GH Rajouri.
Nineteen women were among the COVID victims while 10 persons succumbed to the virus at home and were later shifted to the hospitals.
Meanwhile, former MLC Ved Mahajan today tested positive for COVID-19. Four family members of former BJP MLA from Bhaderwah Dileep Parihar have also tested positive in Doda.
District Magistrate Jammu Anshul Garg today declared village Muthi in Jourian, Dassewala in Khour and Mughal Mohalla in Dansal as micro-Containment Zones.
Out of 1418 COVID positive cases in Jammu region today, 613 were reported in Jammu district followed by 228 in Udhampur, 115 Kathua, 106 Rajouri, 90 Doda, 89 Samba, 56 Poonch, 51 Reasi, 43 Ramban and 27 in Kishtwar district.
As many as 1082 persons today recovered from the virus, the highest being 461 in Jammu district, 242 Kathua, 137 Udhampur, 98 Rajouri, 67 Ramban, 52 Reasi and one in Doda district.
Jammu region’s Corona cases have reached 96113 while active positive cases were 20716 as 73904 persons have recovered and there have been 1493 casualties.
Maximum 842 Corona casualties have been reported in Jammu district followed by 136 Rajouri, Udhampur 99, Kathua 98, Samba 85, Doda 74, Poonch 66, Ramban 43, Kishtwar 26 and Reasi 24.
Meanwhile, the Union Territory of Ladakh today reported 119 fresh COVID positive cases—103 in Leh and 16 in Kargil taking the UT’s Corona count to 16452 including 1546 active positives and 14741 recoveries.
Ladakh has so far reported 165 COVID casualties including 119 in Leh and 46 in Kargil.
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