SRINAGAR: With Jammu and Kashmir witnessing a surge in COVID-19 deaths, two NGOs working in the Valley have decided to set up COVID care facilities with a total of 80 beds offering 24x7 oxygen support and medicare for patients in Srinagar.
‘Athrout Kashmir’ chairman Bashir Ahmed Nadwi told The New Indian Express that they are setting up a 30-bed COVID care facility for patients in Srinagar.
“We will be providing 24x7 low flow oxygen support to the patients. We have purchased 30 oxygen concentrators and they will be installed in the facility to ensure that patients in need will get 24x7 oxygen support,” he said.
‘Athrout Kashmir’ has already given 350 oxygen concentrators to the public, mostly COVID patients undergoing treatment at home.
The NGO has also extended support to the J&K government in setting up a 100-bed COVID care facility at Hajj House in Srinagar.
It is providing oxygen support to the 100-bed hospital besides meals to patients undergoing treatment in the hospital.
Another NGO Ehsaas Trust International is starting a 50-bed COVID care facility in Barbar Shah area of uptown Srinagar.
Zehra Arooj, Coordinator of Ehsaas Trust International, told The New Indian Express that in the next few days, they would be operationalising the 50-bed facility with oxygen support.
“We have installed oxygen concentrators with each bed to ensure that patients get 24x7 oxygen support. Besides, the trained doctors and paramedics would be available 24x7 in the facility for treatment of the patients,” she said.
The setting up of the COVID care facilities by the NGOs in Srinagar would augment government efforts in fighting the pandemic in the Valley.
J&K on Wednesday recorded 3967 COVID cases and 71 deaths (39 in Jammu and 32 in Kashmir). At present J&K has 50925 active cases and of them 29994 are in the Valley and 21021 are in Jammu. J&K has so far recorded 3293 deaths --- 1761 in Kashmir and 1532 in the Valley.
Arooj said they would also be setting up three more 50-bed COVID care centres with oxygen support in Srinagar. “We are working on it and are waiting for the arrival of oxygen concentrators. Once we receive the oxygen concentrators, we will be starting the operations of three more facilities for Covid patients,” he said.
Different NGOs especially Athrout Kashmir, SRO Kashmir, Help Foundation, Help Poor Voluntary Trust, J&K Yateem Foundation, Silk Volunteer Kashmir are providing oxygen concentrators and oxygen cylinders to COVID patients while Ehsaas International is providing free tele medical consultation to the public.