Pregnant ladies testing Covid-19 positive matter of concern: DAK

Srinagar: Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) Tuesday said pregnant women testing positive for COVID-19 on random screening in Kashmir is a matter of concern suggesting the women to take more and more precautionary measures.
The doctors body held a meeting in this regard and said that around 70 pregnant ladies have tested positive with most of them belonging to Anantnag, Kulgam and Baramulla districts.
In a statement issued here on Tuesday the President DAK, Dr Suhail Naik said that the spread of the coronavirus infection to pregnant women is not a good sign and insisted that caution needs to be exercised at multiple levels in order to avoid catastrophic situation.
He advised pregnant women to avoid hospital or clinic visits as much as possible and attend routine antenatal care, tailored to minimum at 12, 20, 28 and 36 weeks of gestation.
“They expecting mothers like other people should follow health advisories of physical distance, hand hygiene, wear face mask whenever they visit hospital or private clinics,” Dr Naik said.
He also said that nearly ten women who earlier tested positive for COVID-19 have safely delivered babies in hospitals and all of them are healthy.
DAK said it is very imperative that all the public and private hospitals should limit the number of visitors and only one attendant be allowed with each patient.
It said that the waiting areas in hospitals should be reconfigured so that 2 meter distance between the patients and their attendants is maintained.
The doctors body also said that surfaces in the hospitals must be disinfected very frequently to maintain safe environment for patients, visitors, and caregivers which will help to contain spread of the novel virus