Ishfaq Jabbar demands more ventilators for DH Ganderbal Raises the issue with Lt. Governor
Ganderbal, Mar 28 (PTK): National Conference senior leader & former MLA Ganderbal Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar on Saturday urged upon the administration to take concrete steps to deal with the health care and initiate door to door delivery and distribution of essentials in Jammu and Kashmir in order to prevent the spread of COVID 19.
In a statement issued to PTK, the NC leader said that he today telephonically contacted the lieutenant governor of J&K Girish Chandra Murmu and raised the issue of the shortage of ventilators in district hospital Ganderbal and demanded personal protection equipment for doctors, para medicos and other field functionaries as they are on the frontline in containing the deadly COVID-19.
Ishfaq said that there should be a robust health system with adequate free testing, hospital facilities, isolation wards and ventilators across Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
He said the dedication with which doctors and other health workers in J&K are dealing with the crisis is appreciable. “The risk to our health-care workers is one of the great vulnerabilities of our health-care system in an epidemic like this and government must provide all the protective gear to them on priority,” he said.
Lt. Governor assured Sheikh Ishfaq that we have released the funds to purchase Ventilators and thermal suits and that health department should procure all the possible equipment on fast track basis. He said that the fight against Coronavirus is a shared responsibility and that everyone has to play due role in tackling the contagion.
“All of us have to cooperate in an optimum manner and every person needs to take all necessary precautions and exercise individual and collective responsibility in this fight against the coronavirus,” he added.
Jabbar also talked telephonically to Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal Shafqat Iqbal and lauded the efforts of the administration in taking the requite preventive steps against the spread of the deadly virus. Ishfaq said that the Ventilators should be purchased from the funds released by MP Dr Farooq Abdullah and said that for the long lasting campaign, it is necessary that the administration should start the door to door distribution of essential in Ganderbal district especially in far flung areas.
Sheikh Ishfaq said the public distribution system (PDS) should be expanded to cover all essential commodities while ration kits should be provided to children’s houses in place of mid-day meal scheme in schools. “Free ration through PDS to people, including people living below poverty line must be provided in this hour of crisis,” he said.
Jabbar stated that the present time is extremely precarious in nature and a complete lockdown was the need of the hour. However, Jabbar said while the government wants the people to cooperate and adhere to its directions, the administration must ensure that the masses do not face the paucity of essentials like kerosene, ration and LPG. He maintained that the door to door services must be kick started by the government at an earliest so that its safety plan becomes a success and people are prevented from thronging the markets.
He also urge people of Ganderbal to reveal travel history and come forward, the reluctance to reveal the travel history is not only putting the doctors and health workers at risk but also increases the chances of community transmission of COVID-19 .
“I request the people to follow the required precautions to ensure the containment of this pandemic,” he added. (PTK)
