Srinagar: Besides its duties of routine policing and maintaining law and order, the ongoing COVID pandemic has thrown up extra challenges for the Jammu & Kashmir Police (JKP) – that of supporting the COVID control efforts of the government.
On the frontline of Covid-19 pandemic, the JKP is responsible for implementing strict government measures to protect the citizens from infections, an official spokesman said.
He said during the second wave of the pandemic, “police activated all its manpower for Covid response with a spirit of public service.
“The whole process strategically designed to augment government efforts is being conducted in close co-ordination across the UT and monitored by top level police authorities in both the divisions,” the spokesman said.
“Having rich experience in reaching out to the population, deep knowledge of the society and working closely with people, the police department was instrumental in surveying villages for people with adverse travel history, monitoring of people with symptoms of Covid-19 and advising the concerned families about ways and means of isolation and medical advice,” spokesman added.
He said besides ensuring strict adherence of “Corona Curfew” and restrictions’ guidelines and the SOPs by the public, the police kept a lookout for financially weaker families and “organised assistance for them”, both at the social level voluntarily, and by keeping liaison with concerned departments of the government.
“The Covid response planned by police has been robust. The department ensured the use of its inbuilt facilities to not only vaccinate its own personnel but also the general public, avoiding additional burden on the health department of the UT of sparing manpower for police department. Police Hospital Covid Care Centre at PCR Srinagar has been functioning as a hub of public Covid vaccination since the inception of the vaccination drive in the UT,” the spokesman informed.
He said police also set up village or mohalla-level quarantine facilities to contain the spread of deadly virus. “This was done to extend medical facilities to all patients and village-level facilities were used to treat those with mild effects of the infection through online consultations with doctors.”
A regular telephonic contact was also set up with the village heads to check about measures in place for keeping their villages or mohallas free from infection and provide guidance and help whenever required, spokesman informed.
Vaccination drive for J&K Police personnel, security forces (SFs) and other frontline workers was kickstarted on 4th February 2021. As on date, J&K Police has completed 100 percent first dose of vaccination of all its manpower while more than 75 percent have been administered with second dose.
The Police department also carried out plasma donation after the recovery of the police personnel who had contracted Covid-19. The drives were conducted in close collaboration with the health authorities at all the formations.
For ensuring that all the manpower on its rolls takes the second jab on time, steps are being taken in accordance with the latest directions by the government, the spokesman said.
Police department took a leading role in spreading awareness about misinformation reading Covid-19 vaccines and a vast campaign was conducted in this regard on all media platforms.
The department also led by example when almost all the senior officers of the department went for vaccination on the very first day. This not only allayed the fears regarding the vaccine, but also helped the general public to come forward for getting themselves vaccinated, the spokesman said.
