Aggressive sampling being done in Valley: Health Director

Tribune News Service

Srinagar April 15

The Director, Health Services Kashmir (HSK), Dr Samir Mattoo, on Tuesday said an aggressive sampling process had been launched in all districts across Kashmir division with an aim to take 800 samples for Covid testing per day.

“The process will provide a big relief to Covid-19 patients and we will also be able to provide rapid and better response while treating them,” Dr Mattoo said.

He said after the HSK trained 157 lab technicians from all Valley districts, the sample collection across the province has risen significantly in the past five days.

“It has enormously decreased the burden of shifting of the suspected patients to CD hospital and SKIMS for testing,” he said.

Mattoo said, “Special collection booths have been set up for the safety of healthcare workers, wherein trained technicians with proper protection suits take samples, preserve them and send them to the Covid-19 designated ambulances for testing.”

The HSK also trained different technicians for donning and doffing who are working at all districts headquarters.

Dr Mattoo has directed all Chief Medical Officers to increase the sampling process which he said could go to 600-800 per day as the Directorate had adequate stock of VTM and other logistics.

“We want to test more people to identify the Covid positive patients and isolate them at the earliest,” he added.

Ten hospitals have been designated for Covid patients. These exclude facilities created for hospital quarantine.

“The bed capacity is being increased to 1,000 beds for level-I isolation,” he said. “We are receiving more ventilators, which will augment our present medical infrastructure,” he said.

The Director urged the public to avoid any attendant reporting with the patient. He said the patients were admitted, provided all facilities, including high-end medicines, hygienic food free of cost. He laid stress on social distancing, particularly at grocery shops, vegetable, fruit markets, playgrounds etc, besides regular hand washing, use of simple masks, and avoiding unnecessarily travel.

Nodal Officer Covid-19 (DHSK), Dr Qazi Haroon advised people to wash hands frequently. “Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water,” he said.