Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Wednesday highlighted the need to set up a new paediatric hospital in the summer capital to meet the rising demand for neonates, infant and childcare.He also sought active support from all sections in saving our youth from the scourge of drug abuse, which is ominously spreading its tentacles across different strata of the society.The Chief Minister said this while interacting with a delegation of Civil Society Forum Kashmir, which called on him, here this morning.
Elaborating upon the issue of setting up a new paediatric hospital, Mufti Sayeed said he will discuss this matter in the review meeting of the State Health Department, which he will be chairing tomorrow. “The facilities in maternity and paediatric hospitals are interdependent and essentially the hospitals should exist in close proximity to each other,” he told the delegation.
Sharing concern of the delegation over rising drug abuse among youth, the Chief Minister called for a concerted effort to effectively counter the menace so as to safeguard their future. He said he will prioritize setting up of more de-addiction centres to treat patients of drug abuse. “I will also direct the Police Department to increase the intake capacity of its de-addiction centre at Srinagar,” he added.
The delegation also requested the Chief Minister to have the State’s Drug Policy more effectively implemented.The delegation, led by Dr. Altaf Hussain, also included Dr. Mubeen Shah, Sheikh Ashiq (KCCI), Yasin Khan (KEA), Iqbal Trumboo (KEA), Siraj Ahmad, Umar Trumboo, Mohammad Ashraf Mir (FCIK), Dr. Shujaat Bukhari, Dr. Geer Ishaq and Shuja-ul-Haq.