SRINAGAR: Secretary Health & Medical Education, Bhupinder Kumar today convened a meeting regarding mock drill to be held on 27th December, 2022 to check functionality in respect of key facilities and logistics for COVID management in healthcare institutions.
The meeting was attended by Director SKIMS Soura, Mission Director NHM, Principals of all Medical Colleges, Director General, Family Welfare, MCH and Immunization, Director Health Services Kashmir, Director (Coordination) New Medical Colleges, J&K, Managing Director, JKMSCL, CMOs of all the districts of J&K and other senior officers from Health & Medical Education Department.
Secretary informed that there is a need to continue with a pre-emptive and proactive approach to keeping a check on a possible increase in the number of COVID cases in J&K in the wake of an increase in positive cases being reported globally.
He directed that all the HoDs, in pursuance to the directions issued by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, shall undertake a Mock-Drill exercise across the health facilities in J&K on 27th December 2022 at 09:00 am to ensure operational readiness for the management of COVID with a specific focus on Oxygen Plants, Ventilators, logistics, and human resources. The status of the mock drill shall be entered facility-wise in the COVID India portal on the same day, he said adding that this exercise shall be supervised by the HoDs of the Health and Medical Education Department.
Secretary also discussed the status of COVID supplies and asked the HoDs and Managing Director JKMSCL to ensure the availability of sufficient stock of COVID logistics including the testing kits. He directed the Chief Medical Officers to continue with the contact tracing of positive cases as per the prevailing practice.
He took stock of the installation and operationalization of genome sequencing labs in GMC Srinagar and GMC Jammu and instructed the officers to make these labs operational forthwith.
Director General, Family Welfare, MCH, and Immunization, was directed to arrange precautionary doses of COVID vaccination for vulnerable groups especially healthcare workers and the elderly population.
Secretary exhorted upon the officers to motivate and encourage the staff members working in healthcare institutions to follow COVID Appropriate Behaviour while working in the institutions for their personal and the safety of the patients as well.
