For saving lives and livelihood, everybody should get vaccinated: Director SKIMS

Stating that Covid cases are showing downward trend, Director Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Dr. A. G Ahanger on Saturday said that vaccination is the only solution right now to save lives, livelihood from the wrath of Covid-19.

“Lockdown is not the ultimate solution to Covid, but we have to understand at some point it helps in bringing down the rate of infection. For safeguarding our lives, livelihood education and economy everybody must take it as duty to come forward and get vaccinated, one should also encourage other to get vaccinated as currently is the only solution will save us from the wrath of Covid-19 which has wreaked havoc,” Dr Ahanger said while speaking at a function organized by the Kashmir Economic Alliance to felicitate Covid warriors.

He said that some people who are sharing fake reports about the vaccination are doing a disservice to humanity. “There should be no hesitancy in getting vaccinated, people with comorbidities, cancer patients, CKD, liver failure patients, heart patients, stroke patients, lactating mothers can get vaccinated without any fear.”

Dr Ahanger, who is also part of the government’s Covid advisory Committee, said that the Covid cases are showing a downward trend. “Cases are coming down, the second wave is under control, but we cannot lower guard. We have kept following Covid appropriate behavior so that the infection rate is under check.”

On SKIMS, the Director said that the tertiary institute has increased its bed capacity from 300 to 500 to facilitate treatment of Covid patients. “At peak of the wave, we had the highest 296 patients admitted in the institute; the number has now come down to 232. We at SKIMS are putting all efforts to provide quality healthcare to the patients.”

Head of Department Chest Medicine, Chest Diseases Hospital Dr Navid Nazir said that lockdown is a temporary measure. “The main motive is to break the infection chain. Ultimately the lockdown has to be eased out, but it helps the government to break the chain and also upgrade healthcare facilities.

“But people must be aware that if we don’t follow SOPs and other measures, the infection will again spread which will force the government to enforce lockdown again.”