Baseer Khan visits airport, quarantine centers

Srinagar, Mar 22: Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Baseer Ahmad Khan Sunday visited Srinagar Airport to review the preparedness of the Divisional Administration to tackle the spread of COVID-19.

After reaching the Airport terminal, the Advisor was passed through Health Screening desk where doctors tested him properly.

Khan emphasized upon the concerned officers that same testing exercise should be carried for VIPs and bureaucrats as is being practiced in case of all other arriving travellers and nobody should be allowed to skip from health screening besides making mandatory for every passenger to fill self-declaration form before leaving the help desks.

The Advisor reviewed the arrangements which are put in place for screening the passengers arriving daily at Srinagar airport. He was informed that five Coronavirus help desks have been established at Srinagar Airport with adequate number of doctors, paramedical staff, Infra-red thermometers, personal protection gears, special ambulances and other equipment.

Khan inspected all Coronavirus help desks and enquired about the staff strength, equipment, advisory notes, self-declaration forms and other measures. He directed the concerned that if any passenger having symptoms of Coronavirus is detected he or she should be immediately sent to quarantine and the desks should share details with higher authorities on real time basis.

Later, the Advisor visited city quarantine centers and inspected the rooms which have been reserved for administrative quarantine for suspected COVID-19 patients, especially people being brought back from Coronavirus-hit countries.

The Advisor was informed that all the required quarantine facilities like rest and recuperation have been established. Administrative arrangements like identification of buildings, perimeter security, food and water supply, bed and linen, laundry, housekeeping, entertainment, sewage disposal, transportation has been organized at the centers.

Further, Medical support like daily examination, laboratory testing, advice on disinfection and bio-medical waste management, public health measures, management of symptomatic patients, surveillance, creation and referral to isolation wards at nearest hospital has been organized by Health Departments in liaison with District administrations.

The Advisor directed the officials that all suspected cases should complete the quarantine period fully and their results should come negative twice and only after that they should be allowed to leave the facility. He also directed the officials not to share names of the quarantined people to the media, citing privacy.

Khan directed the officials not to take any chances and follow the guidelines with utmost care besides asking the quarantined people to cooperate with the administration which is vital for their well-being and their family.

Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Director Health Services, Kashmir, Dr Sameer Mattoo, Principal GMC, Srinagar, Dr Saima Rashid and other concerned officers accompanied the Advisor.