In view of significantly high mortality rate of COVID patients in Jammu and use of medical oxygen, the Government today deputed a three member expert team of doctors from Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura in Kashmir to study the reasons.Comprising Dr Rafi Jan, HoD Medicines, Dr Mudassar Qadri, Associate Professor Medicines and Dr Mohammad Akbar, Anesthesia Department, all from SKIMS Soura, today inter-acted with GMC Jammu Principal Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma and HoDs of major departments engaged with COVID management to ascertain reasons for high mortality rate and use of oxygen.After detailed interaction, the team briefed Principal Secretary to Governor Nitishwar Kumar through video conferencing.Though findings of the team couldn’t be ascertained immediately, sources said they were of the view that Kashmir has four major Health institutions as compared to just one in Jammu and, moreover, the District Hospitals in the Valley are well managed to cater to rush of COVID patients as compared to Jammu.Kashmir has good `Referral Policy’ for the District Hospitals while as majority of COVID positive patients in the entire Jammu region are being treated in the GMC Jammu.COVID patients in Kashmir have been segregated in four Institutes while the GMC Jammu has to tackle rush of almost all critical patients.It may be mentioned here that almost daily Jammu is reporting almost half COVID positive cases than Kashmir but the deaths are more than double than the Valley, which has raised alarm among the Government as well as health experts prompting the administration to send team from SKIMS Sources to the GMC Jammu to study the reasons.Jammu today recorded 46 deaths but 1759 cases while Kashmir reported 2750 cases and 19 casualties.
