SRINAGAR, JULY 30, 2020: Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole today chaired a weekly Covid-19 review meeting with all Deputy Commissioners, Health Officers and other concerned.

While taking review of preparations, the Div Com asked DCs and health officers to gear for effective home isolation of asymptomatic patients and home quarantine of their contacts.

He said that home isolation protocol shall throw new challenges to the administration and instructed concerned to put in place all the necessary mechanism to ensure effective treatment to the patients to be put in home isolation.

He emphasized on proper monitoring of patients to be home isolated, their regular thermal check ups and sensitisation on following the Covid-19 protocol religiously.

He directed concerned to place notices outside the patients home for information.

DCs were directed to gear up and strengthen the control rooms besides fill gaps of required infrastructure and manpower for smooth and prompt response to the patients.

The Div Com said that Covid awareness kits shall be provided to the Panchayat who shall help in generating Covid protocol awareness among the villagers.

Directions were given on creating separate testing facility for security forces with separate quota to unburden the daily civilian load.

Meanwhile, Div Com instructed concerned to ensure timely report clearance of pending samples at all testing labs.

Hel also passed directions on strengthening contact tracing to ensure timely isolation or quarantine to reduce mortality.

Div Com asked DCs to raise the number of sample collection and their testing accordingly.

He also took stock of availability of covid medicines, oxygen cylinders, availability of beds and other related facilities in all districts.

Stressing on coordinated efforts by the concerned, the Div Com called for decongestion of 4 tertiary care hospitals in Srinagar and reverse referral of patients to districts for effective containment of Covid-19 infection.

The district health officers were instructed to check bed availability before patient referral to Srinagar.

He stressed on daily up-dation of discharged patients from all districts and proper functioning of dedicated Covid-19 ambulances in all districts.

Various issues including maintaining of plasma bank , contact details of recovered patients were also discussed in the meeting.

Among others, the meeting was attended by Principal GMC, Director Health Services Kashmir, ADC Srikant Balasaheb Suse, Administrator Associated Hospital Srinagar, SP Headquarter, Incharge Covid Control Room, Divisional Nodal Officer ISM Covid-19 Kashmir and other concerned.

Director SKIMS Soura, DCs and SSPs of all districts, MD NHM, Principal SKIMS Hospital Bemina also attended the meeting through video conferencing.