Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today urged the Kashmir leaders to push forward the Vaccination drive in the Valley. Rising above political and ideological differences, it is the responsibility of all of us to save the paradise of Kashmir by unitedly fighting the onslaught of COVID, he said.

In an interaction with political leaders and public activists of Kashmir valley, Dr Jitendra Singh said, elected representatives, social activists, religious heads and senior leaders can play a vital role in turning the Vaccine drive launched by the Modi government into a mass movement. He said, a successful vaccination campaign in Kashmir valley will send a positive message across the country. 

Dr Jitendra Singh appreciated the manner in which the civil society in Kashmir valley was working in close unison with the local administration. He said, he had advised all the District Collectors of the valley to keep the public representatives on board in this collective fight against the pandemic. 

Dr Jitendra Singh reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking personal interest in monitoring the situation across the country including Kashmir valley. Whenever required, the Prime Minister reaches out to the District administration and also the Medical fraternity and ensures that every requirement is met without losing time, he added.  

The Minister said, unfortunately the Kashmir valley was confronted with COVID pandemic around the time when there was Eid festival, spring season, increasing tourist inflow and ensuing Shri Amaranth Yatra. He hoped that with collective effort and determined will, it would be possible to overcome this calamity and return to happier times.  
The Minister said that he has instructed the District Collectors of the Kashmir valley to rope in Community Leaders in organizing people-friendly vaccination camps at the earliest and added that sufficient doses of vaccine will be made available soon.

Dr Jitendra Singh informed that necessary instructions have already been issued for establishing free Tele-Consultation facilities in a big way for rural areas and for home isolation patients. He said, NGOs, Youth Groups and party functionaries can organize teleconsultation in Community Health Centres or in Panchayat Bhawans by following safe COVID protocols. He said, such professional guidance will also blunt the self-styled remedy being forwarded in social media to fight the pandemic. 

Responding to some of the issues flagged by the leaders, Dr Jitendra Singh informed that from 24th May, walk-in-interviews will start for recruitment of medical staff. He also advised that in the meanwhile, Post graduate and final year undergraduate medicine students and nursing staff may be engaged at GMC and other associated hospitals to fight the problem of lack of human resource. He also called for short term training program for operation of ventilators. 

Dr Jitendra Singh said that he is regularly in touch with the administration in different districts as well as the Medical authorities of all the Government Medical Colleges in both the regions of Jammu & Kashmir including the Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS), Soura. 
Responding to the concerns about treatment of non-Covid critical patients, mainly cancer patients requiring chemo doses and kidney patients for dialysis, the Minister said that efforts are being made to earmark beds for such patients at GMC, Srinagar and SKIMS. 

The participating leaders thanked the Union Minister for sending COVID related material for Kashmir and demanded more consignments for distribution in other districts. This week itself, Dr Jitendra Singh had flagged off separate consignments of COVID related material for the two capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar respectively, carrying separate kits containing face masks, sanitizers and other accessories.  

Dr Rafi, Mohammed Anwar Khan, Darakhshan Andrabi, Altaf Thakur, Manzoor Bhat, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Bilal Parray, Aarif Raza, Ali Mohammed Mir, Ashok Bhat, among others, joined the video conference meet with Dr Jitendra Singh on COVID preparedness and follow-up measures.

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