No bed shortage in Jammu's Govt Medical College, associated hospitals: J-K LG's advisor

There was no shortage of beds in the Government Medical College (GMC) and its associated hospital in Jammu region, said Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, the advisor to the Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor, on Sunday amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in the Union Territory. He assured the people of Jammu region that the shortage of oxygen has been taken care of and there is no need to panic.

Bhatnagar visited the GMC hospital here and took stock of medical facilities given the ongoing pandemic COVID-19, besides inspecting the facilities at the recently established Control Room, a spokesperson said.

"There is no shortage of beds in GMC and its associated hospitals. Shortage of oxygen has been taken care of and it has been decided that the daily status of vacant beds and other steps taken by the authorities to improve patient care shall be shared with the public," the advisor to the L-G said.

He also assured people that asymptomatic patients being treated at home would be provided with pulse oximeters to monitoring oxygen saturation.Through a helpline, doctors would enquire about the wellbeing of asymptomatic patients and give them proper guidelines for home isolation, he said and appealed to the people not to panic as the number of cases has increased due to an increase in the rapid testing in the Jammu division.

The administration is committed to providing the best possible medical care to the people, Bhatnagar said.He also asked the people to practise social distancing, wear face masks, avoid crowded areas, and follow government guidelines.

While inspecting the control room, Bhatnagar directed the officials to maintain a proper record of the patients and provide them with all possible treatment and facilities. He asked the Medical Superintendent to ensure that specialist doctors are deployed in the control room and regular feedback should be obtained from patients. During the visit, Bhatnagar also discussed with the officials in detail the issue of increasing oxygen-supported beds and other facilities.

He was assured that an additional 150 oxygen supported beds would become operational in the hospital by Monday and other facilities will be upgraded on time, the spokesperson said.