DOCTORS URGE J&K ADMN TO HOME QUARANTINE ASYMPTOMATIC PATIENTS

SRINAGAR:AS cases continue to rise in J&K’S Kashmir division, doctors here have asked the administration to allow asymptomatic patients to be home quarantined, or in the next few weeks there would be acute dearth of beds both in hospitals as well as administrative isolation centres.

The apex advisory council comprising medical experts and senior doctors has also recommended home quarantine for such patients.

The J&K administration had set up the council last month.

The past one week has seen the highest number of cases and deaths in the Valley, creating lack of hospital beds and shortage of space as currently 38,509 are under home and administrative quarantine.

SKIMS (Bemina) chest medicine department head Prof Javaid Malik, who is also a member of the apex council, said they had sent several recommendations to the administration regarding medicines and other things.

“We have recommended home isolation of asymptomatic patients and once the same is approved, it could be implemented across J&K,” he said.

“I have conveyed to higher officials that we should try home isolate asymptomatic patients to reduce the burden on quarantine infrastructure and the same should be done at the earliest,” said Dr Syed Masood, superintendent, Baramulla Government Medical College and Hospital.

He said they were creating additional 40 beds with oxygen and other facilities to meet the demand.

“We had created 110 beds at Baramulla indoor stadium. It has been occupied completely and almost all the patients have no symptoms,” he added.