GMC Anantnag: 2 deaths due to bilateral pneumonia in a week

A 68-year-old man from Bijbehara struggling to breath was admitted in the GMC Anantnag on Sunday where he was diagnosed of bilateral pneumonia and put on high flow oxygen support. His samples were taken for coronavirus testing and subsequently returned positive.  However, last night, he died.

It was the second death reported in GMC Anantnag this week as the second wave of Covid-19 makes its way to Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier, a 65-year-old coronavirus positive patient with the same bilateral pneumonia also died in the hospital.

“Two patients whose samples returned positive for Covid-19 and had bilateral pneumonia have died in the hospital recently,” Medical Superintendent (MS), GMC Anantnag Dr Muhamad Iqbal confirmed.

He said, seven covid-19 positive patients are admitted at the hospital, and four among them are suffering from bilateral pneumonia. “All patients are on oxygen support, and are responding well to the treatment,” the MS said.

He asked people to adopt precautions and turn to nearby hospitals once they get any symptom.

In district hospital, Kulgam, seven Covid-19 patients complaining of low saturation level are presently on oxygen support. “These are all fresh Covid-19 positive cases,” MS DH Kulgam, Dr Muzafar told Greater Kashmir.

Several Covid -19 positive patients needing either high flow oxygen or ventilator support are being referred to Srinagar hospitals from Pulwama and Shopian district hospitals.

Dr Naveed Nazir, Professor and Head chest disease hospital, Srinagar says the admissions in the hospital have tripled. “We have almost three times the admissions, than what we had in early March. Most of these coronavirus patients have bilateral pneumonia,” Dr. Nazir said.

Doctors in SMHS, SKIMS Soura and SKIMS Bemina also admit that the beds there are almost occupied. “The number of deaths is also going up,” they say.

Dr. Ruaf Husain, the in-charge Data analysis section in the Divisional covid-19 control room, says the bilateral pneumonia cases are expected to rise with the second wave of Covid-19.

“It is proportionate to the number of Covid-19 cases,” Dr Hussain said.

Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) has already confirmed that the hospitals in Kashmir were witnessing a surge in “severe cases of COVID -19” lately.

“A few weeks ago, we had a drop in the number of severe cases, but over the last few days hospitals are seeing an increase in the number of seriously-ill Covid-19 patients, much like we saw last spring,” DAK has said.