Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing a significant “shift” in the incidence of COVID-19 from urban to rural areas of the union territory with daily cases as high as 60 % and 55 % being reported from the peripheries in Kashmir and Jammu divisions respectively, authorities said on Tuesday.
The insalubrious shift has prompted the UT administration to request for two additional 250-bedded DRDO designed hospitals for peripheral districts in J&K.
The request was made at a high level meeting today chaired virtually by Union Home Secretary, Ajay Kumar Bhalla to review the management of the COVID-19 pandemic across all Union territories, a J&K government handout said this evening.
Chief Secretary, Jammu & Kashmir B V R Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretaries of all Union territories, and Union Secretaries of the concerned departments participated in the meeting.
“Underscoring the shift of disease’s catchment area, the J&K Chief Secretary pointed out that in Jammu and Kashmir more cases were now being reported from rural than urban areas, adding that such cases were “as high as 55% and 60% in Jammu and Kashmir divisions, respectively, ” the handout said.
Accordingly, the J&K government has sought two 250-bedded DRDO designed hospitals for peripheral districts in J&K “in view of the rural spread of COVID-19 in J&K, ” added the handout.
The Chief Secretary also requested that to establish continuous oxygen supply to the two under construction 500-bedded DRDO hospitals one each in Jammu and Srinagar, two dedicated oxygen tankers for these facilities be provided to Jammu and Kashmir.
As per the government handout, the union Home Secretary assured full support and coordination with regard to vaccines and assistance with medical facilities, and asserted greater indulgence with well-performing states and union territories.