| J&K RTI Movement demands slew of measures to tackle COVID-19 Pandemic | | Hails role of doctors, medical professionals of UT | | Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, Mar 27: The J&K RTI Movement has appreciated the role of medical fraternity while dealing with the situation that has emerged after the outbreak of Corona Virus pandemic. The Movement said that despite having inadequate facilities doctors and other medical employees have discharged responsibilities to the best of their abilities.
Dr Shaikh Ghulam Rasool, Chairman J&K RTI Movement said, “Conflict and corruption have consumed the health care of Jammu and Kashmir, and therefore, the inadequate health services, lack of staff and infrastructure is a prime concern; without which the COVID –19 pandemics can’t be tackled.”
Dr. Shaikh said that in a conflict hit and diverse demographic place like Kashmir, where life was under siege for the past 7 months and now the lockdown, will have a severe impact on the people particularly socially excluded and vulnerable communities in groups in J&K.
Irfan Hafiz Lone, Legal Advisor of the Movement said that recognizing and upholding the humanitarian principles of Humanity, Neutrality, Impartiality and Independence, and invoking the international human rights commitments, and the Core Humanitarian Standards and Sphere Standards are core to the fight against Corona Virus.
The Movement has demanded that the government should come up with immediate necessary financial packages to meet the medical emergency and also ensure the transfer of money into people’s account to meet their essentials. It said that government should ensure inclusive preventive measures and actions:
“Engage companies, biomedical engineers, researchers and charities to produce mechanical ventilators and testing kits, enhance the number of testing centres and its capacity to ensure they reach everyone and accommodate all. We call on the government to take urgent measures to procure and provide adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to the health, sanitation and other frontline personnel to protect them and help the system function,” said the Movement.
The Movement said that public spaces – hotels, guest houses, hostels, school buildings and other potential infrastructure should be opened up and they should be converted into hospitals and makeshift quarantine centres for immediate future use. They said that local administration civil society and religious leaders should be engaged to help spread awareness among masses on hygiene, physical distancing and social solidarity, and responsible buying.
“Civil Society and community engagement in relief distribution and essentials; quality masks, soaps, eatables, medicine etc should be done in the fair distribution of materials etc. The government should focus on district level quarantine facilities- isolation beds and quarantine beds with adequate medical treatment equipment,” said the Movement.
The Movement said that provision of basic amenities like water supply and hygiene kits, soaps, sanitizers, masks and other essential commodities to all vulnerable population groups, inmates in various homeless shelters, night shelters/relief camps and slum-dwelling population across India should be ensured.
Dr Fayaz Ahmed Lone Secretary of the J&K RTI Movement said, “The COVID–19 challenge needs a holistic approach to address the threat before us. We call upon the people to stay home, abide by hygiene guidelines, to have nutritious meals and practice physical distancing and social solidarity!”
Peer Mohiuddin, Vice Chairman of the J&K RTI Movement has appealed the RTI volunteers to remain vigilant, raise awareness locally, mobilize help for needy and stranded students and passengers, through innovate means while physical distance is not compromised.
It would be in place to mention here that the COVID–19 Pandemic has created global chaos–and affecting people with no distinctions. Globally, there are 5, 32,692 confirmed cases and 24,075 deaths reported in 176 countries. In J&K there are 16 active cases.
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