KARGIL, APRIL 22, 2021: Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor, LAHDC, Kargil Feroz Ahmad Khan convened a meeting to review various aspects related to COVID-19 mitigation measures and future strategy to deal with the pandemic in the district with the concerned district officers at Council Secretariat here today.

Executive Councilor for Health Muhammad Ali Chandan, Deputy Commissioner and CEO, LAHDC, Kargil Santosh Sukhadeve, Senior Superintendent of Police Kargil Anayat Ali Choudhary, Additional Deputy Commissioner Tsering Motup, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Kargil Dr Munawar Hussain Wazir, Sub Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) of Drass, Sankoo and Shakar Chiktan besides other concerned officers were present during the meeting.

Addressing the meeting, CEC Feroz Ahmad Khan directed the concerned officers to remain in complete readiness to effectively deal with any possible spike of COVID related cases post-Zojila re-opening and stressed them to take all out measures in dealing with the situation.

Feroz Khan said that concrete measures need to be taken to ensure foolproof screening and testing of labourers and travellers and also strategies need to devised whether to close the schools or not.

CEC Khan stressed that it should be informed to the masses that all travellers whether from outside or residents of Kargil and labourers coming to Kargil should come with authentic negative RT-PCR tests. He further directed that after the sampling of inbound travellers is done, teams at ground level should be enough watchful to do surveillance of such travellers for proper quarantine at their homes besides the concerned BMOs at block level should be intimated at the earliest regarding the arrival of these passengers.

Feroz Khan directed that it should be adhered that for initial few days, the passengers coming must remain under strict quarantine until they are reported negative by RT-PCR test. He also instructed the concerned officers to ensure foolproof adherence of COVID-19 SOPs during the holy nights of Ramadan as community prayers are held, adding in this regard coordination with religious institutions is necessary to devise a plan.

During the course of the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Kargil Santosh Sukhadeve said that necessary staff is being allocated at the screening point near Sonamarg for the screening of labourers and it will be ensured that they don’t come with fake RT-PCR tests and the report should have the hologram of ICMR, bar code and other necessary marks. He further underlined that it should be ensured that the passengers coming to Kargil do their RT-PCR tests in advance so that congestion is reduced at the screening points, further asserting that the coming few months are very crucial and necessary safety measures and proper management needs to be done in dealing with any possible spike to limit the outspread.

Meanwhile, the CMO and CEO, Kargil suggested the need for suspension of classwork in schools as children may prove potential carriers of infection in case their family members who are arriving in the district from outside after the opening of Zojila Pass have flu like symptoms. It was further suggested that keeping in view the recent spike in the number of COVID-19 cases, classroom activities in schools should also be suspended for a few weeks as in case of higher education regarding which a formal circular was issued by the UT Administration on Wednesday.

Earlier, the CMO Kargil informed the meeting that at present 87 active positive cases including 79 non-local labourers and 8 local people who have been put under strict surveillance and provided necessary medical care.

Regarding the status of vaccination achieved in the district, the meeting was informed that as regards to Health Care Workers 96% vaccination has been achieved in case of 1st dose and 71% in second dose while pertaining to people above 60 years, 86% have been inoculated with the 1st dose and 19% with the second dose. In case of the beneficiaries under the age group of 45-59 years with co-morbidities, it was informed that 89% of beneficiaries have received 1st dose of the vaccine while 6% vaccination has been achieved in terms of the second dose, adding in the age group of 49-59 years with no co-morbidities, 82% vaccination in terms of the 1st dose has been achieved.

Regarding the availability of oxygen supply, the meeting was informed that sufficient amount of oxygen has been made available at the Dedicated COVID-19 Hospital, District Hospital Kargil and all CHCs and PHCs across the district, adding that the oxygen plant at the COVID-19 Hospital has a capacity to generate 19000 litres oxygen per hour while the 2nd oxygen plant there with similar capacity is being made functional within a week’s time. It was further informed that 1404 mega and medium oxygen cylinders of 7000 and 1500 litres capacity have been made available at all the healthcare centres including 750 such cylinders at the Dedicated COVID-19 Hospital and District Hospital Kargil.

Furthermore, regarding the availability of COVID related logistics, CEC Khan was informed that there is no dearth of logistics and sufficient amount of necessary logistics and medicines related to COVID are available and some have been ordered recently. It was also informed that the process of survey is also underway for the upcoming vaccination of 18 plus population which is estimated to be 58,000 to 60,000 beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, the CEC Kargil stressed the officer concerned to further activate the surveillance and rapid response and other teams on job while also working in tandem and close coordination with the PRI members, Nambardars and village committees to strictly monitor the situation on ground so that all necessary COVID-19 SOPs are adhered to in letter and spirit and any infected or suspected cases are quarantined and isolated immediately so as to contain the spread of the Coronavirus.