SMC Mayor pursuing issue with vigor, says present health set up not up to the mark
Suhail Khan
Srinagar : Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) headed by Mayor Junaid Azim Matoo is all set to come up with the first ever mid-city state-of-art hospital in Srinagar soon after the Covid-19 pandemic subsides.
According to the news agency KINS the project is the brainchild of SMC Mayor who is pursuing it with great vigor and zeal.
Matoo laments what he calls “19th century medical set up” in Srinagar. “Our health care is extremely shoddy. In Srinagar, the majority of hospitals of the pre-independence era and those upgraded are not up to the mark. Covid must be a lesson for us. Health care has to be a major focus once the pandemic is over.”
The SMC plans to set up a state of art hospital at Srinagar by-pass which is the common meeting point of north, south and Central Kashmir districts. “Yes, we have a huge chunk of land at the by-pass where I believe a mid-city hospital must be set up. For that we will be inviting private players. This is my dream,” he said.
Hundreds of SMC employees are on ground fighting the battle against Covid. They are the real Covid warriors. “Not all my staff has PPEs. The shortage of PPEs is a case everywhere. Yet my staff is doing an excellent job. For those involved in chemical spraying and sanitizing the areas where positive cases are reported, PPEs have been given. Our safa karamcharis have only a mask and gloves,” the SMC Mayor said.
In his fight against the deadly virus, Mayor had to go in quarantine and stay away from his family members after one of the employees of SMC tested positive for the virus. Though he claimed that he was never in touch with the employee.
Asked what according to him a challenge ahead is, the Mayor said that the biggest challenge is to evolve a fresh strategy with active involvement of all government agencies to convince the people of Srinagar that Covid was a serious challenge a long haul.
“We can’t always implement lockdown. So far we have a best ever lockdown series for which people deserve the credit. In the long run, we have to move beyond lockdowns and remain very vigilant. For that, we need to make certain changes in our lives—make social distancing a norm of a life, keep wearing masks and gloves till pandemic is there. Handwashing has to be a routine affair to prevent the pandemic spread,” the Mayor said. “The real challenge will start when lockdown will be over and when people will throng roads, offices and other places in the city.”
Matoo said that social media is a most effective medium of dissemination of information. It’s a real time medium of gaining feedback. Lot of people get connected here and suggest what we need to do and at the same time they point out loopholes in our policies as well,” he said.
The SMC mayor while trying to re-invent the Corporation is planning to ensure an insurance cover for his employees and a bonus for those who are the frontline of the fight against Covid. “I want a sense of dignity for my safai karamcaris,” he said. (KINS)
