Leaves of medical staff cancelled Kashmir

Authorities rollback order for mandatory vaccination

Srinagar: Authorities in Kashmir on Monday ordered cancellation of leaves of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff in the valley hospitals in view of the spike in COVID-19 cases in the union territory.
In an order issued here, Director Health Services, Kashmir, asked all the chief medical officers/medical superintendents and other territorial offices falling within the jurisdiction of the Directorate to cancel the leaves amid upsurge of the pandemic.
“All the leaves either sanctioned or under consideration at Directorate level or at respective offices of CMO's and other DDO's in respect of doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and other official of this Department are here by cancelled forthwith except maternity leave and leave taken in view of extreme medical exigencies,” the order said.
The director also directed the chief medical officers/medical superintendents and other territorial offices to refrain from forwarding any kind of leave to his office till further orders.
Jammu and Kashmir has been witnessing a spike in daily cases over the last few weeks. The Lieutenant Governor's office on Sunday also ordered closure of schools up to class 9 for two weeks and class 10 to 12 for a week.
Meanwhile, authorities in the Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir withdrew within hours a controversial order making it mandatory for persons above 45 to get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19 to collect their government ration.
An order issued by the Assistant Director, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Bandipora, earlier in the day had asked consumers above 45 to get themselves vaccinated against COVID-19 or forego their ration.
"Please remember that without producing covid-19 vaccination certificate, ration will not be issued in any case," the order said.
However, it was withdrawn within hours.
"The public notice...wherein it was inadvertently made mandatory for persons aged 45 and above to vaccinate themselves against COVID-19 for the collection of ration, is hereby withdrawn ab-initio," the assistant director said in another order.
He requested the general public to "kindly follow all the mandatory Covld-19 SoPs to fight the virus".
The Centre had from April 1 allowed people above 45 to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus.