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| Commuters skip COVID19 screening at Zig Qazigund as Centre sans manpower, equipments | | |
Saahil Suhail
Early Times Report
Anantnag, Mar 19: Commuters, Truckers and oil-tanker drivers continue to skip screening on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway at Zig Qazigund as the screening center established by the Health Department faces shortage of manpower and screening equipments.
A video showing commuters skipping COVID19 screening at Zig Qazigund Screening Centre has also gone viral on social media sites including twitter.
A twitter user, who uploaded the video, says ‘Screening of COVID 19 at Jawhar Tunnel is a joke’. In the video, commuters can be seen moving away without going for screening.
A spot visit by this reporter also found truckers and oil-tanker drivers easily skipping COVID19 screening at Zig Qazigund. Health Department has deputed a team comprising five members including one doctor. Three Pharmacists’ were spotted screening commuters and the other one was noting down the names of those commuters who belonged to Bihar and Bengal.
“Zig Qazigund COVID19 Screening Centre is functioning in a building in building have two rooms. The screening clinic has just three thermal scanners. The staff strength of the clinic is just five and they don’t have even enough facilities and necessary equipments,” a health department official told Early Times.
He said that three thermal scanners of thousands of people entering Kashmir and commuting on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway aren’t enough.
“We have already suggested to Deputy Commissioner Kulgam to designate the Lower-Munda toll post as COVID19 Screening Centre so that the health department can post more staff and equipments for screening commuters,” he said while admitting the current screening center doesn’t have enough facilities.
He said that screening taking place at Zig Qazigund takes lot of time as the center doesn’t have enough staff and cause huge traffic jams throughout the day. The number of cops for helping the health department team is just five, he added.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pundrang Pole, on being contacted told Early Times that he will take up the matter with Corona virus Nodal Officer. “I will take up the matter with Nodal Officer and everything will be done for strengthening and enhancing facilities at COVID19 Screening Centre,” he said. He also requested general public to avoid visiting hospital for normal check-ups. “I also would like to request the general public that they should visiting hospitals like SKIMS and SMHS instead for normal health related issue they should visit their primary health centers,” he added. |
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