Covid 19 In Astore

By Taaruf Abbas Advocate

Astore is a remote and backward district of GB having poulation of more then one lac.Its boaders met with Jammu Kashmir.Common people occupation is cultivation and cattling.There is no good facilities of quality education and health.Both sectors are basic indicators of human development and human capital.There is a District hospital having lack of specialist doctors,Labotary equipments.There is no Digital X Ray machine,Ultasound facility,CT Scan, Even there is no minor operation theater and expert pathlogist.There is no gynocologist doctors except deal through nursing staff.
When the Covid 19 pandamic started The district administration followed instructions of provincial Government of GB to control spreading coronovirus.The weather condition of astore in winter season is very cold.flue fever is a common disease in winter season.The District adninistration declared DHQ Astore as an isolation center for the affected patients and hire hotel for quarantine centers for suspected patients .Initially there were only five affected patients of corona virus and more then eighty suspected patients.The test samples taken from suspected patients were sent to Gilgit lab for corona virus tests and many samples were damaged during transfering gilgit.The numbers of affected patients rapidly increased on 12the april 2020 from five patients to 26 patients.The situation become uncontrollable by district administration.There were no good facilities for affected patients like supply of hot water for drink,No hot shawer for bath daily,no standared food available,
When the affected patients numbers increases rapidly a team of doctore from DHQ Gilgit transfered under the supervision of medical specialist doctor Raziq.The new coming team review the situation of poor condition of patients and on same day chief secretary and force commander visited and decided to refer all patients to Gilgit.
During coronovirus 19 affected people health badly due to lockdown for more then one month people suffered badly economical.Many labours and workers stay home for safety measres as per orders of Government affected from basic needs of livelihood.Due to closed of market small scale busines entreprenuers,Barber shops,cobbler shop owners desturbed.Many farmers ca not cultivate their lands.Federal Government give cashe through CNIC no sending via mobile in number 8161 and Ration provided through district administration.But still unclear policy to issue ration and cash thousands of people missed who are pooly affected economically.There is need to work for better health services standard lab equiped with all required instruements and expert pathologist for coronvurus tests and other tests.Provide Ration and Cash to the people living in boader areas and suffered due to coronavirus and hard weather condition.This year earthquake and heavey snowfalling also distutbed lives of common people.
We demand from Government and NGOs to enhance their access and relief activities in bsckward district Astore and save life of poor people.