Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Feb 14: In view of the decline in Covid-19 cases, SKIMS Medical College hospital Bemina has been de-notified as Covid-19 dedicated hospital and college will resume normal activities from Wednesday. The authorities have also ordered for re-opening of Medical College Srinagar and students have been asked to attend offline classes.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), “Pursuant to the communication issued by the Government vide No: HD/Plan/30/2022-02 dated: 14.02.2022, SKIMS Medical College Hospital, Bemina has been de-notified as COVID-19 dedicated Hospital,” reads the order issued by principal of the college Dr Irfan Robbani.
“Accordingly, it is hereby ordered that SKIMS Medical College-Hospital, Bemina shall resume normal activities with effect from Wednesday 16th February 2022. The Medical Superintendent and the HODs of Clinical Departments shall ensure that normal Hospital service systems are put back in place, prior to resumption of routine activities from the aforementioned date, in the best interests of patient care,” the order reads.
Notably SKIMS Medical College Hospital, Bernina was designated as a dedicated COVID hospital for treatment of Maternity Child Care and Orthopedic COVID patients in the third week of January.
However, after decline in Covid-19 cases non-emergency services in the specialties of Dermatology, ENT, Ophthalmology, Dentistry and Psychiatry were resumed from February 3.
“Pursuant to the Government Order No: 15-JK (DMRRR) of 2022 dated: 13/02/2022, it is hereby notified for information of all concerned faculty/students (MBBS & B.Sc. Paramedical Courses) that they shall attend to their offline classes wet 14th Feb, 2022 as per the programme already devised by this College The concerned faculty as well as students shall ensure scrupulous implementation of the directions issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as well as National Medical Commission from time to time in the best interest of Medical Education and while. re-opening the offline Classes they must ensure that guidelines with respect to social distancing and Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) are strictly followed,” reads the order issued by Principal GMC Srinagar.
The guidelines as the order include that all the students must have got both the jabs of COVID Vaccination and they will be required to provide a certificate to this effect, they shall avoid the risk of transmission, the students, faculty and staff should be screened and symptomatic ones be advised to get clinically assessed before allowing them entry into the classes.
In this regard adequate arrangements of thermal scanners, sanitizers and face masks should be made available at all entry and exit points including the reception area, all the students, teachers/professors and other staff should wear masks compulsorily and have their own sanitizer also with them and the minimum distance between two students shall be maintained as per the standing guidelines besides that while coming and leaving the college the students and staff should maintain physical distance of at least one meter from each other and no student or staff member should breach this distance rule either during the class work or while coming or leaving the institute. In all cases gathering or grouping should be avoided and everybody should come and leave college individually.
“Heads of the Departments concerned shall evolve a mechanism to take offline classes of UG (MBBS) in a such a way that it should not violate the standing SoPs/guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, besides the directions issued by Health and Medical Education Department, in this regard, are implemented in letter and spirit. The opening of college for offline teaching doesn’t mean that the online teaching has been abandoned and all other CAB/SoP guidelines issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India and department of Health and Medical Education Department, J&K from time to time are implemented scrupulously,” the order said—(KNO)
