DRDO to build two 500-bedded COVID hospitals at Jammu and Srinagar
▪️J&K bids to ramp up medical infrastructure for dedicated quality COVID care
DRDO to build two 500-bedded COVID hospitals at Jammu and Srinagar
JAMMU, APRIL 28: The Union Home Secretary, Ajay Bhalla, while chairing a high-level meeting reviewed the establishment of two 500-bedded COVID hospitals, one each in Jammu and Srinagar by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
Chief Secretary, Jammu & Kashmir B V R Subrahmanyam, FC Health Atal Dulloo, Union Secretaries of the concerned departments and officers from DRDO, ITBP, and AFMS Institute participated in the meeting.
The Chief Secretary informed that the UT has witnessed a consistent surge in patient-load over the past few days. The existing health care facilities are adequately catering to the needs of patients; however, a continuation of this upward trend may lead to a shortage of COVID beds. To successfully mitigate shortages in medical facilities, it was requested that the temporary DRDO COVID hospitals be constructed well in time.
He further requested that the upcoming hospitals must be equipped with isolation beds having oxygen support and 125 fully equipped ICU beds.
Assessing the requirement of dedicated COVID infrastructure in the Union territory, the Union Home Secretary asked the Government of Jammu and Kashmir to immediately identify suitable locations for constructing 500-bedded hospitals while asking DRDO to evaluate and submit corresponding proposal estimates through a team of experts.
The meeting was informed that the Government of Jammu & Kashmir has identified two patches of land in Jammu and Srinagar for early start of construction work.
In the past, the Defence Research and Development Organization has built 1000 bedded temporary COVID hospitals across the country in approximately 12 days each. The construction of two 500-bedded hospitals in J&K will greatly reinforce medical infrastructure for dedicated COVID care in the Union territory.
No: PR/DI/21/187/
Government of Jammu and Kashmir
Directorate of Information
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Email: dipr@jkinformation.co.in
Navin Choudhary reviews preparedness for Kharif season; advocates shift towards organic fertilizers
Calls for promoting cultivation of spices, cash crops, medicinal plants
JAMMU, APRIL 28: Principal Secretary, Department of Agriculture Production and Farmers’ Welfare, Navin Kumar Choudhary, today convened an online meeting to review preparation for the upcoming Kharif season here today.
Principal Secretary sought details about wheat procurement and functioning of government mandis established in the UT. He directed the respective officers to ensure that farmers receive payment, through direct bank transfer only, against their produce within a period of five days.
Regarding promotion of sale and procurement of maize crop, Principal Secretary asked the Agriculture Department to establish experimental maize mandies one each in Rajouri-Poonch and Ramban-Doda in Jammu region.
Reviewing progress on seed distribution by the department, Navin Choudhary emphasized the need to further streamline working of departmental agriculture farms to meet much of the domestic seed requirement. He directed the department to evolve an effective strategy to increase production of the farms by 50 percent during the year 2021-22. He also asked the Directors and Joint Directors to review one agriculture farm every month spending ‘one entire day every quarter’ at these farms to ensure the production here increases manifold.
While discussing fertilizer consumption and requirement of the Union Territory, Principal Secretary highlighted the need to cut dependence on chemical fertilizers and shift towards sustainable alternates like organic fertilizers and vermi-compost. ‘Increasing dependence on chemical fertilizers is a disaster in making’, he added and called for a well planned strategy from both Directors for promotion of organic fertilizers,