Less flow of OPD patients as Jammu records sharp spike in cases

Jammu: The visit of patients in Outpatient Departments (OPD) in Government Hospitals has decreased to a considerable level amid constant soaring COVID19 positive cases compelling health officials to suggest large containment zones in Jammu.

“The number of patients coming to the OPD for a routine medical checkup has declined in Government Hospitals including Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu,” an official said.

“In OPD, the patients are sampled first before they are permitted for medical checkups. If any of the patients are tested positive, they are advised for home isolation in case they are asymptomatic or admitted in Covid Care Ward for treatment of the symptomatic patients,” an official in the GMC Jammu told Greater Kashmir.

The official said that “The emergency services in GMC Jammu are running smoothly as people are coming as per the routine. There is no decline like last year. However, the visits of patients to OPD has reduced. So far, there are 40 symptomatic patients undergoing treatment in the GMC’s Covid Care Ward,” the official said.

The official said that so far, 448 doctors and paramedical staff members have been infected with the virus in different hospitals in Jammu.

A senior health department official said that they have suggested the civil administration in Jammu to declare containment zones as the micro-containment zones may not be able to contain the spread more efficiently in view of a sudden increase in COVID19 positive cases.

“We have suggested declaring large containment zones. We are getting positive cases from all over Jammu’s urban areas and even from rural areas,” said the official, wishing not to be quoted.

The official further said that the weekend lockdown also needs to be implemented so that people to observe the COVID19 restrictions.

“People still can be seen roaming in markets without marks. There is a need to take strict action against the COVID19 restriction violators,” he said.

Meanwhile, following a sharp spike in COVID19 cases in the Jammu district, the District Magistrate, Jammu, Anshul Garg declared five new micro-containment zones.

Among these micro-containment zones include- Lane near BSNL Tower, Baba Fareed Nagar, Kunjwani, Jammu; Lane near Yogananda Dhayan, Kendra, Green Park Officer’s Enclave, Muthi (Jammu); Lane near Bharat Shiv Ashram Panjgrain, Nagrota, Lane near House Number 105-B, near Alpha Collection, Basant Nagar, Janipur; and Lane near House Number 52, Sector Number 7, near J&K Bank, Trikuta Nagar, Jammu. So far, Jammu district has 60 micro-containment zones and nine were de-notified after improvement in the COVID19 situation following the recovery of the infected people.

A resident of Bathindi, Shahid Malik said even as COVID19 cases are mounting across Jammu every day, people who suspect themselves to be COVID19 infected are not able to get tested timely due to the limited sampling centres.

“The sampling in selected places increases the rush of the people and it further adds to the worries of the infected people as they have to stand in long queues and that too far away from their locality,” Malik said.

He said that there is an urgent need for the health department to open sampling centres in Bathindi, Sunjwan, Chawadi and other places which are highly populated.

Speaking to Greater Kashmir, the concerned Corporator Sohbat Ali also expressed his serious concern over the plight of the people due to the unavailability of testing centres.

“Despite having a huge population, the areas like Bathindi, Sunjwan, Chawadi, Sainik Colony and its adjoining areas have no testing facility. The people have to go to the hospitals which are far away,” he said. He demanded the opening of testing and vaccination centres in his ward.