Chief Secretary asks H&ME Deptt to stock medicines for people

Jammu: Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta Wednesday asked the Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department to keep sufficient stock of medicines available for the people.

Chairing the COVID task force meeting Mehta asked the H&ME Department to prioritise administering booster doses in vulnerable populations besides expediting vaccination in the 15 to 17 years age group and replenishing the stock of COVID-specific medicines.

He directed the department to ensure strict enforcement of COVID Appropriate Behaviour (CAB), COVID SOPs, and protocols towards ensuring the highest caution and preparedness and lowest fatality.

The chief secretary directed immediate activation of emergency control rooms and decentralised COVID war rooms and re-activation of Panchayat-level isolation facilities and COVID Care Centres to contain the rural spread of the disease.

He asked the department to create visual content in vernacular newspapers on COVID good practices for circulation among the people.

The chief secretary directed ramping up of testing facilities in J&K to conduct over 2 lakh daily tests in the coming days while maintaining the contact tracing ratio at 1:15.

Mehta impressed upon the Health Department to circulate treatment SOPs for minor children and train the pediatrics staff accordingly, besides ensuring the availability of the best treatment and facilities including suitable ventilators and related machinery to this age category which has hitherto remained less affected from COVID-19.