India: Nationwide Two-Day Drill to assess COVID preparedness amid rising cases

Mubashir Hassan

The hospitals in Kashmir during the last few weeks have seen an increase in the number of hospitalisations of COVID-19 patients. Till Thursday, the active COVID-19 cases in J&K were 238. Head of the Department (HoD) at CD Hospital, Dr Naveed Nazir Shah said that they had intensified testing the samples of patients which shows more patients have been infected with the virus. He said that there had been a surge in COVID cases since few days compared to the previous month. "I think this is the high time to be prepared for any wave as the behaviour of this virus is uncertain. We have designated two wards as COVID-19, which will be available for the COVID-19 positive patients. Besides, we have enough oxygen facilities as well,” Dr Nazir said. To recheck the oxygen generating equipment and COVID-19 related facilities in the hospitals, J&K is going to start a mock drill related to COVID preparations on April 10 in health institutions as per the directions from the Government of India.