Planning to turn Rly coaches into isolation wards
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Apr 4: In order to meet any eventuality regarding Novel Coronavirus, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has converted 16 hospitals with total capacity of 1277 beds into dedicated hospitals for COVID-19 treatment only in the Union Territory and is planning to turn some railway coaches into isolation wards and establish makeshift isolation hospitals by utilizing the services of the Army.
According to a notification of Health and Medical Education Department, a total of 16 hospitals including 6 in Jammu Division (total capacity of 470 beds) and 10 in Kashmir Division (total capacity of 807 beds) have been made dedicated COVID hospitals.
In main Jammu city, 140-bedded Chest Diseases (CD) Hospital, 70-bedded Psychiatric Hospital and 90-bedded Gandhi Nagar Hospital have been dedicated fully for COVID-19 patients while 100-bedded CRPF Composite Hospital Bantalab, CHC RS Pura and CHC Bishnah on outskirts of Jammu city have also been converted into COVID-19 Hospitals.
In Kashmir, 150-bedded SKIMS Medical College & Hospital, 100-bedded JLNM Hospital, 92-bedded Chest Diseases Hospital, 20-bedded Kashmir Nursing Home, 100-bedded District Hospital Pulwama, 100-bedded District Hospital Ganderbal, 50-bedded District Hospital Shopian, 100-bedded CHC Kupwara, 25-bedded Trauma Hospital Pattan (Baramulla) and 70-bedded Trauma Hospital Bijbehara (Anantnag) have been notified as dedicated Hospitals for COVID-19 treatment.
Meanwhile, sources said that the Government is also planning to turn some railway coaches into isolation wards for patients with Coronavirus and the modalities for it was discussed today in a meeting between Railways authorities and Health and Medical Education Department held in Jammu.
During the meeting, which was attended by Divisional Traffic Manager Railways, Jammu, Chetan Taneja; Director (Coordination), New Medical Colleges, Dr Yashpal Sharma; Deputy SP Railway, Anita Pawar and other officers, Financial Commissioner (FC), Health and Medical Education Department, J&K, Atal Dullo asked the railway authorities to provide at least 100 isolation beds in coaches in Katra, 500 in Jammu, 200 each in Kathua and Baramulla and 300 in Srinagar to augment the isolation facilities for COVID-19 cases.
“The Railway officials were told to incorporate some modifications in the identified bogeys for enhancing patient safety,” sources said, adding in next 2-3 days training process of railway employees, who will be deployed in these coaches, will start.
Sources further disclosed that Government is also planning to establish one make-shift hospital of 100-200 beds each in Jammu as well as Kashmir Division with the help of Army and the modalities for establishing these hospitals were also discussed today by Atal Dullo in a video conference with senior Army officers from Northern Command as well as Kashmir, officers from Army Base Hospital Jammu, and other senior officers of Health and Education Education Department from Jammu and Kashmir Divisions.
“Various locations, including a stadium and an ashram in Jammu, came up for discussion during the meeting in order to establish these make-shift isolation facilities and the FC directed Director Health Services Jammu Dr Renu Sharma and Dr Yashpal Sharma to work in a coordinated manner with the Army, visit the discussed location and see the feasibility of isolation facility there,” they said.
Sources said that the Army authorities in Kashmir have already identified places that will be converted into isolation facilities and soon the Director Health Services, Kashmir will visit these places and discuss the modalities with the Army so that makeshift isolation hospital is made available at the earliest.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
