J&K govt hospitals directed to paint Red Cross signs on rooftops amid rising tension between India and Pakistan

In view of the escalating tension between India and Pakistan, authorities directed all government hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir to paint Red Cross signs on the rooftop of the buildings, according to several media reports.

Rising Kashmir quoted an official of SHMS hospital in Srinagar as saying: “We have been directed to paint Red Cross signs on the rooftops of all hospital buildings, in view of escalation in tension between India and Pakistan."  A similar direction was given to district and sub-district hospitals in the Valley.

Owing to several airstrikes and ceasefire violations along Line of Control (LoC), nearly all government-owned hospitals have stocked up on medicine and other equipment in bulk in case of an emergency, The Times of India reported.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration Wednesday also passed an order to take necessary steps to upgrade the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) at Srinagar’s Humhama. The state government constituted a five-member committee for the upgradation of the SEOC, officials said.

“Sanction is hereby accorded to the constitution of a committee regarding upgradation of the SEOC in Humhama, Kashmir,” an order issued by General Administration Department (GAD) said.

“The committee would be headed by administrative secretary, information technology department and it will take necessary steps to upgrade the SEOC with communication equipment as required to enable it to function as a nerve centre for disaster preparedness and response activities in the state,” the order read.

“It would take necessary steps to enable the SEOC to have live audio-visual and data connectivity with otherwise inaccessible and disaster prone areas, valley and mountain passes,” the order added.

The five-member panel would identify agency or agencies for execution of the project in a time bound manner after following due codal formalities and utilise funds placed at its disposal by the State Executive Committee of the State Disaster Management Authority for this Project in accordance with norms and guidelines.

Earlier on Wednesday, India shot down Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) F-16 jet after an airspace violation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Nowshera sector in Rajouri district.

Meanwhile, Pakistan claimed that the PAF shot down two Indian aircraft inside Pakistani airspace and arrested one Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot.

This comes a day after the IAF carried out air strikes across the LoC in Pakistan’s Balakot and other two locations.

With inputs from PTI