Jammu: After Jammu and Kashmir High Court directed him and Secretary Health and Medical Education to “urgently examine” the issue of “insufficient sampling”, Chief Secretary, BVR Subhramanyam on Friday asked the Deputy Commissioners to ramp up the sampling capacity so that all high value cases are tested immediately.
He said all the contacts which have been traced so far and other high risk cases needed to be tested quickly to avoid getting other people infected from the virus.
Chief Secretary was interacting with the Deputy Commissioners and the field functionaries of the Health Department.
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court had directed Chief Secretary and Secretary Health and Medical Education to “urgently examine” the issue of “insufficient sampling” amid submissions that only around 4000 people have been tested for COVID-19 even as the government states that over 50000 people have been put under observation in J&K.
“Let this issue be urgently examined by the Chief Secretary, UT of J&K as well as Secretary, Health and Medical Education,” said a division bench of Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Rajnesh Oswal while hearing clubbed Public Interest Litigations through video conferencing.
The submissions were made by advocate Ateeb Kanth who also pointed out that the report filed by the Health Department shows that only 157 technicians are available and it stands a reason for “insufficient sampling”.
As a result, he said, despite the Government stand that 50,000 (now around 60000) people have travelled into J&K, only 4,000 people have been tested for COVID-19.
While reviewing present status of testing and sampling done so far in the UT, the Chief Secretary said that we have already enhanced our testing capacity and are able to get the testing of good number of samples done both inside and outside Jammu & Kashmir, but to match the gap of testing and sampling, we need to push our field functionaries to prioritize the sample collection exercise.
“Delay in sample collection especially of high value cases which are already traced and other cases of high risk may pose threat to others; the Chief Secretary said”.
Financial Commissioner, Health, MD NHM, Principal GMC Jammu, Director Health Services, Jammu, participated in the meeting. The Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu, Director SKIMS, all Deputy Commissioners, Principals of GMCs, Director Heath Services, Kashmir and other concerned officers attended the meeting through video conference.
Chief Secretary complimented all for their efforts in fight against coronavirus. He said that tracing exercise has been going on well in all the districts but at the same time, the samples should be also be taken and sent for testing at designated facilities.
He directed both the Divisional Commissioners and Directors Health Services to take personal responsibility in ensuring the sampling is done with sense of urgency.
Reiterating the need to enhance isolation/quarantine facilities in all the districts, the Chief Secretaries directed all to develop Covid Wellness Centres by utilizing available infrastructure in the districts. He asked Jammu and Srinagar districts to create such facility of 5000 beds in each district while as all other districts should be ready with such centres with capacity of 1000 beds.
These Covid Wellness Centres are very significant in our fight against coronavirus and should be made ready with all necessary facilities to utilize them at the earliest so that persons can be kept at this facility whenever the need arises, the Chief Secretary maintained.
With regard to implementation of Government Orders/Guidelines on Covid-19 control measures, the Chief Secretary directed the Deputy Commissioners to ensure that they are being enforced properly on ground and strict action is being taken against anyone violating the lockdown orders especially in the Red Zones.
