Minister for Health & Medical Education, Bali Bhagat has called on the Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda here and discussed several issues relating to the health sector in Jammu and Kashmir.Bhagat pleaded for according focused attention to upgrade the health infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir being hilly State having peculiar topographic conditions, adding that the state is spread over a large area which mostly comprises difficult terrain and inaccessible areas and thus requires special treatment as compared to other plain States in the country. He called upon the Union Minister to ensure free flow of funds to undertake massive infrastructural development in the health sector to ensure improved healthcare to the people, especially those living in rural and far-flung areas.Expressing gratitude to the Union Minister for sanctioning two AIIMS, five Medical Colleges and two Cancer Institutes for the State, the Minister stressed the need for expeditious release of funds for these projects so that they are completed in a time bound manner. He also drew the attention of the Union Minister towards some important projects which need to be expedited.
The issues which were prominently highlighted before the Union Minister included, early release of funds under Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) for the year 2016-17 for undertaking/completion of various health projects, including State level Cancer Institutes, Tertiary Cancer-care Centres, Nursing Colleges, Unani College in Srinagar, Ayurvedic College at Jammu, upgradation/modernization of two Food Testing Laboratories, one each at Kashmir and Jammu, strengthening/upgradtion of Drug Regulatory Mechanism in Jammu and Kashmir that have already been agreed upon by the Union Ministry.Nadda appreciated the concerns of the Jammu and Kashmir and assured that the Centre will take necessary possible steps to address all the issues on merit. He also assured to release funds under PMRDP and other schemes on priority for expeditious completion of all on-going health projects across the State. He said, the NDA Government headed by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is committed to improve the overall health scenario in this hilly state to ensure better medicare facilities to the people.