LG Manoj Sinha visits Jammu's Government Medical College, reviews COVID management

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 16 : Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha on Sunday visited Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu to review the COVID clinical management and measures being undertaken by the hospital authorities.
Emphasising on strengthening the healthcare workforce, the Lt Governor directed hiring of additional paramedical staff, besides rational utilisation of existing resources to ensure effective patient care management.
According to an official statement, LG Sinha also directed that at all times, senior doctors, nurses, and paramedics' presence in clinical areas to be ensured by the hospital administration. He also stressed upon optimised supportive care for COVID-infected patients and round-the-clock care by the hospital staff.
Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma, Principal and Dean GMC and AH's Jammu informed the Lt Governor that as many as 250 nurses would join GMC within three days, substantially adding to the available healthcare workforce.
Stressing on need to providing better facilities to the patients, the Lt Governor directed the senior doctors to ensure proper availability of all medicines, nutritious meals, round-the-clock care of patients, food and water for attendants of the patients, and proper entry passes to the attendants.
"Senior doctors should also take the front line in informing people to adopt safe practices and COVID protocol. Seniors must leverage their role as both a doctor, caring and treating patients and a public health advocate containing COVID pandemic," said the Lt Governor.
He further sought the status of two new oxygen plants which are being set up by the Jammu and Kashmir administration at GMC, Jammu to augment its oxygen capacity.
While reviewing the progress being made for establishing an additional 100-bedded COVID ward, the LG directed the principal and senior doctors of GMC, Jammu to ensure the operationalisation of the said facility at the earliest.
He also enquired about COVID care facilities, availability of oxygen support beds, the functionality of Oxygen Generation Plants, besides compliance of earlier directions including regular rounds of HoDs and senior doctors in the wards to examine the patients.
Earlier, the LG visited Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) 500-bedded under construction COVID hospital site at Bhagwati Nagar and took first-hand appraisal of the ongoing work.
The fully air-conditioned make-shift COVID facility with 125 ICU beds and ventilators will be completed by May 25 this year.
While enquiring about the patient-care facilities to be made available at the said COVID care hospital, he was informed by the officers of DRDO about the installation of Oxygen Generation Plant, triage facility, availability of doctors, paramedics, and other important aspects of the COVID care management.
He directed the Health Department to provide all support to DRDO, including arrangements of health-related facilities, hiring/posting of doctors, paramedics, and other healthcare workforce well before the formal functioning of the hospital.
While having a briefing on the road connectivity to the hospital site and other related works, the LG set deadlines for completion of the road and other auxiliary works. He directed the concerned departments to make sure that all necessary arrangements are made well in advance.
It was informed that Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) tanks with a capacity of 40 metric tons (2 tanks of 20 metric tons each) would be installed in this COVID care facility, besides the whole structure is prefabricated and fire retardant.
Pertinently, DRDO is setting up 500-bedded COVID facility, one each in Srinagar and Jammu, which will substantially increase the COVID dedicated bed availability in Jammu and Kashmir.