JKP asks policemen to facilitate COVID-19 workers

Takes note of cops disallowing movement of doctors

Taking note of the reports of policemen disallowing the movement of doctors, the Kashmir Zone Police Tuesday ordered all the Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) to brief policemen to facilitate COVID-19 frontline workers during the ongoing pandemic.
The SSPs have been also asked to convene meetings with the chief medical officers and brief the doctors and the paramedics to cooperate with Police during the lockdown.
"Please brief all police officers and personnel deployed at COVID-19 related duties and at other nakkah points to facilitate warriors especially doctors and paramedics smoothly," reads a message issued by Kashmir Zone Police to the district SSPs.
The instructions to police officers come after a vehicle of Chief Medical Officer Bandipora, Dr Tajamul Hussain and an interventional cardiologist Dr Syed Maqbool was stopped by Police in Bandipora and Srinagar on separate days.
Although, the CMO Bandipora was allowed to proceed later on Tuesday, the cardiologist, who was on call for SMHS Hospital in Srinagar, was taken to Police Station on May 23 but released later.
The directions to Police came following protests by doctors against the alleged harassment of Dr Tajamul and Dr Maqbool.
A video of Dr Tajamul being stopped by Police was circulated on social media while Dr Maqbool too wrote on Facebook about him being stopped by Police in Zadibal area of Srinagar.
Dr Tajamul was on way to inspect a quarantine centre and sample collection centre in the district, reports said.
The Kashmir Zone Police has also advised the district SSPs to convene meetings with the respective Chief Medical Officers for cooperation from COVID-19 warriors with the Police.
"You are also advised to hold meeting with the concerned CMOs and request to brief the doctors and paramedics to cooperate with the Police," reads a document marked “most urgent”.
Earlier, the doctors at a super-specialty hospital in Shireen Bagh held a token protest against the alleged harassment of healthcare professionals.
Meanwhile, a Police spokesman said the Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar took stock of the law and order situation in the Valley.
The IGP issued strict directions to ensure that all COVID-19 frontline workers are facilitated properly, the spokesman said.
"He also appealed to the doctors and paramedics to cooperate with policemen on the ground," the spokesman said.
He said the IGP took strong notice of complaints appearing in some media about police personnel while discharging their duties on the road.
"He also instructed senior officer to submit a factual report regarding it. It was also reiterated that doctors, paramedics and Police are jointly combating COVID-19 and whatever incident has taken place, we shall look into them, conduct impartial inquiry and take due action," the spokesman said.