COVID-19 death toll in J&K soars to 17 after death of patient with cancer history

A day after Jammu and Kashmir recorded three COVID-19 deaths, a 55-year-old novel coronavirus patient with cancer history, died at a Srinagar hospital on Tuesday taking the toll of the viral illness in the Union Territory to 17. In the past four days, six people who had tested positive have died in Srinagar hospitals. Five of them had known co-morbidities, doctors said. Medical Superintendent of tertiary-care SKIMS hospital, Dr. Farooq Jan said a COVID-19 positive patient from Rafiabad in Baramulla died of a cardiac arrest. He said the patient was admitted to the hospital for some time now. The first death due to COVID-19 in J&K was on March 26 of a member of Tableeghi Jamaat who had travel history outside. The second death took place on March 29- a resident of Baramulla with no travel history. The third death took place on April 7- the deceased was a Bandipora resident whose sample tested positive after he passed away.

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Efforts to ensure the safety of healthcare professionals

There has been a huge surge in COVID-19 positive cases in J&K since the last few days with 106 new cases, half of them police personnel and their family members and five doctors. Meanwhile, the government of J&K had said that they are taking all efforts to ensure the safety of the healthcare professionals dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and sufficient stock of Personal Protection Equipments (PPEs) is available with the health department. It said that it has been regularly issuing guidelines and ensuring its implementation for use of Personal Protection Equipment’s (PPEs) by the healthcare professionals while dealing with the COVID suspects/patients so that healthcare professionals do not get cross infected from them.

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The detailed guidelines for rational use of PPEs issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, government of India and guidelines prepared by the administration of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, are being regularly shared with the healthcare professionals through print and electronic media, social network sites, where it has been clearly mentioned that how and where to use PPEs by the healthcare professionals in different healthcare institutions, while treating the COVID patients/suspects, taking samples or testing of the samples. The healthcare professionals are also being regularly trained through video conferencing, webinar, Zoom app, etc. regarding the use of PPEs and their protection from the COVID infection. Most of the doctors and other healthcare professionals have been trained in using PPE kits while dealing with COVID positive patients.

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