Srinagar: Amid a spike in coronavirus cases in Jammu and Kashmir, the Srinagar district administration has established 3000-bed capacity COVID Wellness Centres at six locations that aim to provide best facilities to mild and asymptomatic positive patients.
Kashmir recorded four deaths due to coronavirus since Monday, taking the death toll in the Union Territory to 16, while the total number of cases stood at 1,289. There are 1,129 cases in the valley and 160 in Jammu region.
“We have readied 3000-bedded capacity in Srinagar to respond to any situation so that hospitals are not overburdened,” Srinagar city’s Deputy Commissioner Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said.
With the ongoing trend, he said it was imperative to plan for any exigency for the future and accordingly the capacity was created, which was more than the existing bed capacity of hospitals in Srinagar.
He said medical equipment and technical logistics are also being placed for use in these facilities as wellness centres.
Nodal officers have been appointed and trained to activate these centres on demand of COVID hospitals at a very short notice, Choudhary said, adding that the hospitals in Srinagar are likely to get a much-awaited relief with the establishment of these facilities.
He said special engineering teams along with officials from the administration completed these projects in less than six weeks’ time and added that experts from community medicine were also associated for technical advice at each stage.
The lockdown period across the country was aimed to be utilised for creating capacities both in hospital infrastructure and wellness centres, apart from flattening the curve by limiting the public movement.
Living up to this aim, the Srinagar administration headed by Choudhary, immediately after announcement of the first lockdown, started work on establishment of COVID wellness centres, officials said, adding in a period of less than two months the centres are ready to provide services to the hospitals.
The district administration converted stadiums, community halls and hostels into wellness centres and also developed some greenfield facilities.
These centres have been developed to provide space for treatment of mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases aiming to lessen the burden on hospitals, the officials said.
They said each COVID Wellness centre has several wards with serial numbered beds, charging points, personal comfort logistics, including bedding and warmers, make-shift first aid centre, doctors’ cabin, nursing centre, hygiene and sanitation point.
Screening and testing booths, mobile testing van, separate washrooms for different wards, pantry, security room and other establishments constructed with pre-engineered material were some of the other facilities available there, they said.
They said the PVC flooring has been done at wellness centres and arrangements put in place for proper ventilation. These centres have been established as per notified standards.
Each bed is provided with a kit for two weeks including towels, hand sanitizer, soap, dental kits, tissues and masks apart from immunity-boosting approved drugs, they said.
