Srinagar, July 28, : Despite protocol related to COVID-19 having been recently changed in Jammu and Kashmir with a government direction to home quarantine ‘Asymptomatic’ patients, several such patients have been held in various Valley based hospitals and quarantine centres, in total violation of changed protocol.
NEWS AGENCY CNS reported that several asymptomatic patients and their relatives, with a complaint of being held in various COVID designated hospitals and quarantine centres, in violation of recent clear cut directive from UT Chief Secretary, to home quarantine such patients.
Ironically several positive patients have been kept in Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital, which is not an officially designated COVID hospital.
A patient admitted in SMHS Hospital said, “We are being held here against our will and total violation of the newly set protocol”.
“Even the Oxygen Supplementation System, made compulsory to be provided to asymptomatic patients at home only, under the fresh directive of Jammu and Kashmir Administration, is not being provided to them, even during their stay in hospitals and quarantine centres”, said an 30 year old female patient, who is admitted in a hospital along with her 13-year-old niece.
“This is an unnecessary exercise, which not only puts pressure on the healthcare system of the hospital and is also a cause of discomfort for us”, she added.
Meanwhile a doctor at Srinagar Hospital, on the condition of anonymity said that so far the government has not so far intimated the Hospital Administration to implement the order about the changed protocol, due to which they are helpless to discharge asymptomatic patients for home quarantine.
“Once we receive the needed intimation about the directive, we will follow the changed protocol and allow asymptomatic patients to go home”, he added.
Pertinently the UT Administration had on Monday passed a fresh order about the COVID related protocol, under which asymptomatic positive patients can isolate themselves at their homes, while all the major hospital of the UT will only cater to COVID referral cases, which is yet to see implementation, pending to the intimation to the concerned. (CNS)
