Minister for Health and Medical Education, Ch. Lal Singh today inspected the ongoing construction work of Emergency block and other sections of District Hospital Kathua.Director Health Services, Baljeet Singh Pathania, Chief Medical Officer Kathua, Dr Basant Kumar Sharma, Medical Superintendent, Dr Anoop Manhas accompanied the Minister.The Minister directed the executing agency to ensure timely completion of the project with special focus on quality of works strictly as per the laid down specifications. He said it is endeavour of the Government to create durable assets for the people of the State, especially in the important sectors like health and education to ensure best service delivery. He underlined the importance of District Hospital Kathua and said that being largest district in Jammu division it caters huge rush of patients from various remotest parts of the districts like Basohli, Billawar and Bani besides Hiranagar tehsil, therefore, adequate medicare facilities would be ensured in the hospital.
He said all out efforts will be made to equip this important institution as Model hospital with latest diagnostic techniques so that the patients may not move out to territory intuitions in Jammu for specialized treatments.Exhorting upon medicos to be more responsive and prompt towards patient care, the Minister said that every functionary of the hospital has to understand their responsibility and provide efficient medicare to the patients. He reminded them the dignity of noble profession of doctors in the society to whom the patients treat like God, therefore, they must maintain and safeguard the credibility of this sacred profession.
Ch. Lal Singh further said that after the completion of additional block of district hospital, there would be considerable relief in the patient crowd in Mahatma Gandhi Maternity hospital in Kathua and Medical College, Jammu.He said that Government is committed to provide best healthcare facilities to the people at their doorstep in every corner of the State.While reviewing the services in the hospital, the Minister directed the concerned to devise an effective mechanism to deal with rush of patients in the hospital. He said that J&K State was adjudged best managed state at national level in the latest survey conducted by the India Today Group for providing health care services to the patients and the tempo needs to be maintained in future as well, the Minister observed.
Later, a deputation of Basohli met the Minister and put-forth a charter of demands. He gave patient hearing to the deputation and assured to address their problems in a shortest possible time.Choudhary Lal Singh said that CHC Basohli will be developed as Model Hospital with all modern healthcare facilities, besides provision of OPD from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m on working days with the provision of specialities of Gynaecology, Surgery and general physicians. He also informed that two ventilators, two additional operation theatres, digital X-ray machine, CT Scan machine and blood bank will be provided soon in CHC Basohli. He said that possibilities would be explored to establish an institute for training of para-medics in tehsil Basohli soon.