“Sharing data of deaths in Jammu, a senior doctor said that the first nine days of May 2021, revealed that there were 40,849 registered positive cases in JK UT (27340 from Kashmir and 13509 from Jammu), unregistered would be countless”
Nitesh Sangral
It is not as if administration of Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department in general and Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) Jammu in particular were unaware of the prevailing pandemic or they had no time to prepare for this, but ‘lethargic’ and ‘indifferent’ approach of the people at helm of affairs have made it go ‘out of control’.
In between the first wave and deadly second wave of covid-19, the concerned administration had almost six to eight months to prepare, at least to accumulate necessary equipments and install required infrastructure at respective places, probably learning from damage wrecked by this pandemic in other countries.
“The second wave caught administration of H&ME Department and GMC&H Jammu in slumber, thus vindicating incompetent administrator heading the department. Had the Financial Commissioner H&ME a competent officer, he would have foreseen the ensuing pandemic,” said a senior doctor, wishing anonymity, adding that the Financial Commissioner was busy ‘adjusting’ his minions.
He stated that as the second wave of Covid-19 has engulfed Jammu, the poor preparations and lack of foresight on the part of the head of the Health and Medical Education Department (H&ME), Principal of the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) Jammu and Director Health Services Jammu stand exposed.
Sharing data of deaths in Jammu, a senior doctor said that the first nine days of May 2021, revealed that there were 40,849 registered positive cases in JK UT (27340 from Kashmir and 13509 from Jammu), unregistered would be countless. There were total 444 hospital deaths in JKUT in the first nine days (283 from Jammu and 161 from Kashmir). 64% of the deaths have been contributed by Jammu Division itself, and almost 2/3rd deaths were reported in GMC Jammu, which is the biggest Level-I care hospital with highly qualified manpower.
He told The Typewriter that the poor preparations indicate how ‘callous and carefree’ these health administrators remained from November 2020 to March 2021, and the data of the total number of registered cases and deaths strengthen this opinion. The brunt of this callousness on the part of FC H&ME, Principal of GMC&H Jammu and Director Health Jammu has been faced by the Jammu people.
“If we look at the comparative figures of previous year during the first wave of COVID-19, there were 5975 registered Corona positive cases in JK UT in the first nine days of May 2020 (574 from Jammu and 5401 form Kashmir) with only 01 death, that too from Kashmir”, asserted doctor, adding that despite repeated warning about Corona reemergence, the FC H&ME and minions were busy in conducting ‘irrelevant’ meetings without reaching to any final policy of how to control Corona in JKUT.
The senior doctor also said that in August and September 2020, Corona was at its peak and there were 272 deaths in Jammu province, including 140 in GMC Jammu (2.3 deaths per day). Irrespective of further containing the already low morbidity rate, Deputy Medical Superintendent and Executive Engineer were suspended over the death of an old lady allegedly due to shortage of Oxygen.
“Following the death of lady, instead of putting GMC in order, FC H&ME vide order No. 699-JK (HME) dated 13th September appointed Dr. A.D. Singh Manhas (Medical Officer) as I/C Control Room of GMC Jammu with Dr. Sanjeev Gupta and Dr. Jatinder Mehta as his assistants” said doctor, adding that the track record and integrity of these two doctors were already under questions.
Senior doctor also alleged that Dr Mehta was also indulged in various complaints against his character and behavior.
If an official of GMC Jammu is to believed the real problem started during the tenure of Dr Sunanda Raina as principal GMC&H, who allegedly failed to complete the installation of the new Oxygen Concentrator Plant which was started in October 2019 and put whole GMC system into jeopardy, which is not getting controlled till now.
Meanwhile, he stated that in the past couple of days, Jammu recorded 64% of the total deaths, despite the fact that it contributes only 34 % positive cases.
He asked to ascertain the reasons for high mortality rate in Jammu, Financial Commissioner H&ME department, Principal GMC&H and Director Health Services Jammu should be made accountable for working as per their whims and fancies. He also maintained that a proper enquiry should be initiated against these three people at the helm of affairs regarding every death in Jammu, which was mostly due to shortage of oxygen, poor infrastructure or lack of coordination between different stakeholders of the health department.
