Jammu and Kashmir has been conferred with the ‘Big State of the States’ (SoS) award in health sector by the India Today Group.The award was received by the Minister for Health and Medical Education, ARI and Trainings, Choudhary Lal Singh at an impressive function here last evening.Editor-in-Chief, India Today, Arun Purie, presented the award to the health minister at India Today Conclave-2015, held at Hotel Oberoi, New Delhi. While announcing the award, Purie said that for the last 12 years, India Today’s annual State of the State’s Survey has emerged as the gold survey for analyzing and recognizing the primary units of the governance that keep India ticking over.“I have been pleased to see the SoS trophies displayed proudly in several offices of several chief ministers I have visited since we first began these awards in 2003. This shows that doing well in the survey has become a symbol of achievement for them, which is exactly what we would hope it would be,” Purie said.
“I have been saying for a while that the future of India lies with the States rather with the Centre, which should look at larger policy concerns. States have a much better idea of their needs. They are also in a better position to the welfare and wellbeing of their citizens,” he said.The chief guest on the award ceremony function of the Conclave was Union Home Minister, Mr Rajnath Singh, Chief Ministers of several States including, Chief Minister of Goa, Laxmikant Parsekar, Gujarat CM, Anandiben Patil, Assam CM, Tarun Gogoi, Manipur CM, Okram Ibobi, among other several high rung officials of the States across India.While receiving the award for JK, Lal Singh lauded the organizers for choosing J&K for the award, saying much more was to be done on the ground to improve the healthcare sector in the State. He lauded the medicos and paramedics of his department to work round the clock for providing the better healthcare services at all levels.
The Minister said that besides developing health infrastructure, J&K government has prioritized health sector, which has given new flip to the healthcare facilities being provided at various levels of the healthcare institutions in the State.“Healthcare infrastructure, discipline and sanitation are my priorities to run the state-run hospitals,” Singh told the delegates at the Conclave.Lal Singh said that he has directed the health authorities to ensure further improvement by providing modern facilities in every health institution of the State. He said the state government was maintaining health as the top most priority sector and people should be befitted at the government run hospitals. The minister said that PDP-BJP government was putting all out efforts to further improve the system by providing infrastructure and human resource at the urban as well as the rural areas of the state. The minister lauded the role of staff for their services in the hospitals and dedicated the award to their valour and dedication.
The Minister was accompanied by Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education, Dr MK Bhandari, Project Director, DG ISM, Dr Kabir, Dr Saleem Ur Rehman, Director, Health Services, Kashmir, Dr Sameer Mattoo, Director, Health Services, Jammu, Dr Pathania, Mission Director, Health and Family Welfare, Dr Baldev Sharma, OSD to Health Minister, Suruj Rukwal, among other health officials.Pertinently the organizers earlier said that the annual INDIA TODAY “The State of the States” study was an attempt to find out which of India’s states offers its citizens the best opportunities, both at work and outside. The study, according to them, tracks each state’s performance over time and, in particular, records the changes over the last year. It takes into account both the business environment and the quality of life. The parameters on which the states are judged include governance, education, agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure, investment scenario, economy, environment, cleanliness, and inclusive development. Its objectivity and scope have made this study the gold standard for the health of Indian states.