The Jammu and Kashmir government will activate 20,000 beds at Covid-care centres in different districts for patients with no or mild symptoms. The government has said all the centres will be opened closer to the rural areas where the infection is spreading fast.
However, doctors in J&K said the government has misplaced priorities and described the move as a waste of resources. “This money could have been used to procure oxygen cylinders and oxygen concentrators instead,” said consultant at the government medical college Srinagar, pleading anonymity. He said it has been seen that not a single person has been kept in the Covid care centre since different departments have started establishing them. “Please tell me why should asymptomatic and mild symptomatic go to the CCS and not stay at home,” he said. Another doctor said the move would also hamper testing as people would fear that they would be sent to these centres on testing positive. Doctors said there is an immediate need for ICU and high-flow oxygen beds.
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The directions to establish Covid Care Centres were issued by State Executive Committee (SEC) chairperson and chief secretary BVR Subrahmanyam as part of additional Covid-19 containment measures. “The deputy commissioners will activate all 20,000 CCC beds in the districts for admitting Covid positive patients with no or mild symptoms who cannot do home isolation. The Covid Care Centres will be opened closer to rural areas. The health department will work out the feasibility of providing some of these CCC beds with oxygen support,” the chief secretary’s order said.
