Set up Covid-19 RT-PCR testing labs in Banihal, Ramban hospitals; Sajjad Shaheen  

Strengthening health care system in rural areas imperative to control the spread of Coronavirus

Strengthening health care system in rural areas imperative to control the spread of Coronavirus

Banihal, 19 May (KNS); Expressing serious concern over lack of Covid-19 RT-PCR testing facility in District and Sub-District Hospitals of Ramban, National Conference leader and district President Ramban Mr Sajjad Shaheen has appealed to the JK Administration to set up Covid-19  RT- PCR testing labs in District Ramban at an earliest possible time in view of the rise in COVID-19 cases in the district and has asked the government to put in place the necessary infrastructure to streamline the Covid testing process.

As per the statement issued to Kashmir news service (KNS), Shaheen said that people were facing difficulty in getting RT-PCR tested as there is no lab anywhere in the district with such a facility. He said that the collected samples are carried to the only nearest Lab that has an RT-PCR testing facility in District Hospital Doda and the process takes 3-4 days to get the results adding that, the delay in test results are hampering the measures to contain the spread of the virus in the district. He said that in most cases, it takes at least five days to get the results, which is delaying medical treatment as well as causing anxiety among the people.

While expressing serious concern over a steep surge in COVID-19 cases during the deadly second wave in the state particularly in district Ramban in the last few weeks, Shaheen said that the continuous surge of Covid-19 positive cases is a matter of grave concern as Covid-19 cases are increasing significantly in the district. 

He cautioned the administration that rural areas may become the next coronavirus hotbeds and emphasized the need to use this opportunity to strengthen and improve its primary health care system especially in rural areas to control the spread of Coronavirus as the rural health care system in our state is not adequate or prepared to contain COVID-19 transmission, especially in many densely populated areas because of the shortage of doctors, paramedics, hospital beds, and equipment. 

Shaheen has urged upon the administration to scale upsampling and testing facilities in rural areas in the district to reduce the spread of the virus and take a combination of containment and mitigation measures to slow the spread of the COVID-19 and ensure sufficient supply of Medical Oxygen, essential medicines and other necessary requirements at all Covid Care Centers so that patients and medical staff do not face any difficulty in the time of need.

He has also appealed to the people to follow the guidelines laid by the District and local Administration, Health department and strictly adhere to Covid-19 appropriate behaviour like wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing. 
He also urged every eligible person to take the Covid-19 vaccine without any hesitation to minimise the impact of the deadly virus. (KNS)

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