Minister for Health & Medical Education, Bali Bhagat today dedicated 33 newly constructed health institutions to public in Jammu division in one go through e-inauguration.At an impressive function held at Domana, near here, the Health Minister pushed the computer button and simultaneously inaugurated 33 health buildings constructed at an aggregated cost of Rs 28.51 crore.Simultaneous arrangements were also made for physical inauguration of these buildings by the concerned MLAs and senior Officers under whose jurisdiction the buildings were constructed.The MLAs who inaugurated the buildings in their respective areas included, Choudhary Mohammad Akram (Surankote), Pawan Gupta (Udhampur), Choudhary Qamar Hussain (Rajouri), Devender Singh Rana (Nagrota), Chander Parkash Ganga (Vijaypur), Dr Devinder Manyal (Samba) and Kuldeep Raj (Hira Nagar).
The move was first of its kind in the history of health department making synchronized inaugurations, which was aimed to make optimum use of technology and saving time and expenditure.On the occasion, the Minister also laid foundation of New Type Primary Health Center (NTPHC) building at Domana to be jointly used by the health and ISM Departments.Addressing a well attended public meeting after the inaugural ceremony, the Minister said it is the top priority of the Government to upgrade the existing health infrastructure, especially in the rural and far-flung areas to ensure availability of better healthcare and diagnostic facilities to the people at their doorstep.He said the Government has taken several measures to augment the health services vis-à-vis streamlining the functioning of the health institutions by rationalizing the staff strength as per the actual workload of the individual institution.
He said all vacant posts of doctors and paramedics have been referred to the concerned recruiting agencies for making fast-track recruitments.Bali said that immediately after he assumed charge of the health ministry, several patient-friendly reformative initiatives were taken to further improve the health services, especially for the poor patients.The initiatives included, free medicines in all health institutions, lab and other diagnostic tests on nominal charges, auditing of patients’ prescriptions, free services for the pregnant ladies, promoting institutional deliveries, providing free ambulatory services to pregnant women from their homes to hospitals and back, improving sanitation facilities by outsourcing the institutions to the Sulabh International, opening of Jan Aushadhi Pharmacies in the health centers etc.Listing the developmental initiatives in the Raipur-Domana constituency, the Minister said that since the formation of BJP-PDP Government lot of work has been done in all sectors and people can feel the change on ground and compare the performance with the past regimes over five decades.
The major initiatives included, opening of Degree College, laying foundation of 100-bedded hospital at Kote Bhalwal, blacktopping of over 100-kms of link roads, upgradation of Bantalab-Amb Gharota road. The efforts have also been stepped up for early start of work on important Jammu-Akhnoor road that has been sanctioned under PMDP. He called upon the people to cooperate with the government for speedy implementation of various development programmes.Prominent among those present on the occasion included, Director Family Welfare, Dr. Sameer Mattoo, Managing Director, JKMSCL, Dr. Yashpal Sharma, Director Health Services, Jammu, Dr Gurjeet Singh Soodan, CMO, Jammu, Dr Robinder Khajuria, local leaders including Omi Khajuria, Sukhdev Singh, Ved Parkash Sharma and several functionaries of the health department.