NGOs, individuals, Mohalla committees on toes
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Apr 26: With COVID-19 cases as well as deaths in J&K on the rise, the people in Kashmir have braced up and are doing everything possible to prevent the Delhi-like situation from taking place particularly about the oxygen supply.
As distressing scenes emerged from Delhi and other parts of the country where people were seen grappling for oxygen supply, several individuals including the NGOs that were already in the picture since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, have started augmenting the equipment support that they might need in days to come.
The ‘SRO-Kashmir’ which is a leading NGO presently working to take care of patients struggling with the COVID-19 has built up quite a several equipments that are necessary for the COVID-19 patients who are severely ill.
As of now, the SRO Kashmir has got several oxygen concentrators that it has been building since last year along with high flow concentrators, oxygen cylinder, high flow oxygen cylinders, non-invasive ventilation equipment, and other associated equipment.
Afaaq Sayed who is leading the SRO Kashmir told Excelsior that for the last more than one week they are on their toes and have given up most of the equipment.
“As of now, we have 220 oxygen concentrators; 150 high flow oxygen cylinders with 100 bulk and 50 medium. We have 25 Bipap machines which are non-invasive ventilation equipment, out of which 21 are with the patients as of now; BiPAP machines are given in hospital setting as it needs medical supervision,” he said.
He said that they knew this was coming and keeping that in mind, they had started augmenting the equipment in the winter and even before that.
Apart from that, people at the Mohalla committee levels are also doing every bit to buy the oxygen concentrators and other related equipment. Aadil Ahmad, a resident of the old city, Srinagar has started crowd funding to buy oxygen concentrators as cases continue to rise in Kashmir. Last year, he told Excelsior, when the situation was bad, he was able to buy few concentrators to be provided to those in need.
“This year, the situation is grim as we have seen what has happened in Delhi and other parts of the country; we are doing at a Mohalla level and are doing the crowd funding to get the equipment needed,” he said.
Several such Mohalla committees have been set up across Kashmir as the situation leapt towards bad.
As per data, the situation is expected to be grim in J&K towards the end of May and until June with an increase in the daily deaths, daily cases as well as the in terms of utilization of the hospital resources.
SRO Kashmir’s Afaaq told Excelsior that as of now, it appears that the hospitals can cope up with the rush; however, any further increase in the caseload in the hospitals is going to be dangerous.
The efforts that are visible on the ground as of now are collective with the public as well as the NGO along with the Government trying to do everything possible for the days that might not be so pleasant given the current trend of the COVID-19 infection.
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