Jammu: Asserting that the strict enforcement of test-track-treat protocol and vaccination is the only long term solution to stop the spread of coronavirus, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha said on Friday that saving lives and protecting livelihoods of the people was his priority.
Chairing a series of meetings with Covid Task Force, Deputy Commissioners and SPs of the UT, here at Civil Secretariat on Friday, Sinha said called upon the officers to ensure no compromise on Covid appropriate behaviour, an official spokesperson said. The meetings, he said, were the latest in the series, where LG took a comprehensive review of the Covid situation across J&K.
Sinha, he said, has been issuing directions from time to time to strengthen the efforts and undertake immediate interventions to tackle the ongoing COVID Pandemic based on the regular assessment of evolving situation and inputs from experts.
“With substantial addition of Medical Infrastructure and stabilizing positivity rate across UT, the way ahead is to minimize health risks through stringent regulations, Covid SOPs and maximize economic health and social security for people,” the LG said, as per official spokesperson in the meeting.
During the meeting, he said, the LG sought feedback from Divisional Commissioners, IGPs, Deputy Commissioners, and SPs on Covid situation across the UT and directed them to ensure the impactful enforcement of all Covid protocols in their respective jurisdictions.
The official spokesperson said that the LG laid special emphasis on intensifying testing and vaccination and directed the DCs and other concerned officers to make synergized efforts to augment vaccination progress with focus on priority groups.
He said that the bank employees, Airport & Railway staff, shopkeepers, farmers, service providers would be vaccinated on priority. The LG, he said, also called for ensuring Covid Testing facilities at the Sub-Centre level.
While reviewing the district-wise status of vaccination drive, Sinha, as per the official spokesperson expressed satisfaction on being informed that Jammu, Ganderbal, and Shopian had achieved 100% saturation of 1st dose of vaccination for above 45 age group.
“The Lt Governor asked other DCs to make concerted efforts to achieve 100% saturation in their respective districts at the earliest,” he said.
The official spokesperson further said that the meeting was informed that Covid Care Centres have been activated in 80% Panchayats of the UT. He said that the LG Emphasized on proper utilization of CCCs and called for effective functioning of these centres through mobilization of resources.
“Mere development of infrastructure is not going to serve any purpose. We have to ensure that facilities are utilized to their optimum capacities to achieve the desired results on ground,” Sinha said, as per the official spokesperson.
“Ensure CCCs linkages with PHCs and other health centres, ample distribution of Covid Kits, Tele-medicines facilities, besides prioritizing functioning of centres established in the peripheries. Speed up training of ASHAs, Anganwadi workers, ANMs and other ancillary staff,” he added.
The LG, official spokesperson said also laid emphasis on taking requisite precautionary measures and carefully monitoring areas with higher positivity rate and directed for micro-containment zones to isolate such areas, besides timely monitoring and responsive action to break the spread chain.
“Meanwhile, the Lt Governor also reviewed the installation and functionality of oxygen generation plants, and availability of buffer stock across the UT,” he added.
He said that the Principal Secretary to the Government, Industries & Commerce department briefed the LG about the ample availability of oxygen stock in the UT. The LG, he said, called for utilization of buffer stock of oxygen cylinders for oxygen supply in the Covid Care Centres in rural areas as per requirement.
The official spokesperson said that the LG appreciated the efforts of Health department for effective handling of the pandemic situation.
Earlier, he said, the Financial Commissioner, Health & Medical Education Department, Atal Dulloo gave a detailed overview of bed occupancy in hospitals, containment activities, status of vaccination drive under different age groups, district-wise daily and weekly trends of Covid-19 cases, testing & positivity rate, recovery rate etc.
Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to Lt Governor; BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary; Dilbag Singh, DGP; Arun Kumar Mehta, Financial Commissioner, Finance Department; Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary to the Government, Home Department; Bipul Pathak, Principal Secretary to Government, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj; Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary, Power Development Department & Information Department; Shailendra Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Government, Public Works (R&B) Department; Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lt Governor; Ranjan Prakash Thakur, Principal Secretary to the Government, Industries & Commerce Department; Mukesh Singh, ADGP; Ms. Sarita Chauhan, Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Labour and Employment Department; Pandurang K Pole, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir; Ms. Sheetal Nanda, Secretary to the Government, Social Welfare Department; Vijay Kumar, IGP Kashmir; Dr. Raghav Langer, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Deputy Commissioners and SPs, attended the meeting, in person and through virtual mode.
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