Doda administration gets masks, PPE kits prepared

Doda: As J&K is facing shortage of masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, the Doda is preparing these equipment at the local level. Services of tailors at the district headquarters have been taken to prepare masks and PPE kits at the earliest. On a daily basis, hundreds of masks and dozens of PPE kits are being prepared and handed over to the authorities concerned for further distribution among employees and other frontline staff. The idea came from the Doda Deputy Commissioner and in the past few days the administration has got hundreds of masks and scores of PPE kits stitched. TNS

Valley girl takes initiative to make masks

Srinagar: With Kashmir facing a shortage of protective equipment for doctors fighting the spread of Covid, a 10-year-old Valley girl has come up with an innovative technique of making face masks at home. She has also asked residents to help her in making one-million masks. Aayat Tanveer (10), whose video has been shared on the social media has given some positivity to the people amid the ongoing distress about the spread of the virus. Ayat is trying to help people at home and neighbours by providing them a hand-made mask as people remain restricted to their homes. Ayat has shared the three steps of making a face mask with the help of a tissue. It takes her 15 minutes to make a mask. She has urged residents to take part in her initiative and help her is making a million masks at home. TNS

Medical stores face staff crunch

Jammu: Already hit by shortage of medicine stock, chemists and medicine shop owners in Jammu are facing staff crunch and customers are not being given required medicines. Most of the chemist shops in the city have three to four helpers along with the owner of the shop who provide medicine to the customers. In the ongoing lockdown, almost all medicine and chemist shops have only owners managing the rush of customers as most of the helpers in the shops have taken leave to stay home. This has put an extra burden on the shop owners, many of whom are not able to give the required medicines to the customers. Besides, masks and sanitisers are not available at any medical store. TNS

Police helplines to the aid of elderly

Jammu: The J&K Police have started helpline numbers for the elderly in Jammu and they are receiving hundreds of distress calls every day. “To redress issues faced by people in this difficult time, the police control room started helpline numbers +91-9055791111 and +91-9055792222 by keeping special focus on old-aged persons living alone in Jammu,” SSP Shridhar Patil said. “It is particularly for old-age persons living alone. We are receiving hundreds of calls for medicines, ration, essential commodities, like milk, vegetables etc. It is a tough time and we are trying to give every possible help from our side,” the officer said. TNS

‘Shift quarantine centre from PHC’

Rajouri: Residents of the Seri block in Rajouri district have appealed to the administration to shift the quarantined persons from the health centre at Seri to another location. “The people of border villages are already under the threat of continuous mortar shelling by the Pakistan army and now the coronavirus scare,” said Ramesh Choudhry, sarpanch of the Deeng panchayat. He said the administration was shifting more persons to the Seri quarantine centre. “The sub-district hospitals at Nowshera and Sunderbani are about 20 and 25 km from Seri, respectively, and in case of any medical emergency, including unprovoked shelling, locals will face problems in getting preliminary treatment at PHC,” said Choudhry. OC

Civil Defence to help Udhampur district administration

Udhampur: An emergency meeting of Civil Defence(CD) was organised by Advocate Surinder Khajuria, Chief warden, CD, under the chairmanship of Vidya Sagar, DSP, Controller, Civil Defence, to discuss various measures to contain Covid. The meeting was organised on the direction of District Magistrate Dr Piyush Singla, Controller, Civil Defence. The meeting decided to participate in all preventive measures being taken by the district administration. OC

Challenges for Doda, Kishtwar administration

Doda: With the fear of Covid gripping all over and people advised not to venture out without any emergency, reaching out to the people with essential commodities is the biggest task in front of the administration in Doda and Kishtwar districts. From the time the Prime Minister announced the 21-day lockdown, it seems that different departments are lacking cohesion in these districts. The twin districts of Doda and Kishtwar get all the supplies, be it groceries, vegetables or medicines, from Jammu and the supplies have somehow gone down since the transport was gone off the road. Only goods vehicles are allowed to reach these districts which are not enough to meet the needs of people. Though the administration of both the districts have asked the higher authorities not to stop goods vehicles coming from Jammu but still there are not enough supplies. TNS

Parents seek solution of annual fee issue

Jammu: Stating that the notice issued by the School Education Department to the management of private schools for the extension in collection of fee up to April 30 was a much-needed step in the time of crisis, parents are now hoping that there will be a permanent solution for charging of annual fee by the private schools every year by the administration of J&K. “Even the quarterly fee being charge by the private schools is between 6,000-12,000 or even more then what is the logic behind charging of the annual fee? What is more surprising is that when the parents ask for explanation, the managements have no answer at all”, a parent said. TNS

Auqaf gives Rs 11 lakh for ventilators

Rajouri: The Auqaf Islamia at Shahdra Sharif, which is the shrine of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah in the district, has given Rs11 lakh to meet the challenges caused by coronavirus. The administrator of the Auqaf Islamia, Abdul Qayoom Dar, handed over the cheque to District Magistrate Mohammed Nazir Sheikh. “The money provided by the Auqaf Islamia, Shahdra Sharif, will be utilised exclusively for the purchase of three ventilators for Government Medical College and Associated Hospital, Rajouri,” said Dar. OC