Minister for Health & Medical Education, Bali Bhagat today paid surprise visit to the emergency block of Government Medical College, Jammu and took stock of the facilities and services available there. He inspected the functioning and services in the emergency block and received detailed account of facilities viz-a-viz availability of drugs, IV fluid, diagnostic equipment, sanitation and manpower etc to deal with the flow of patients being treated there. He interacted with the doctors, para-medics, patients and attendants and enquired about the functioning.He called upon the functionaries of the hospital administration to further streamline the system to ease the rush of patients and specific measures to deal with the most critical cases, especially those injured in road and other accidents. He issued specific instructions for devising a well-knit mechanism to provide immediate medical attention to the emergency cases, which are brought in the hospital so that their precious lives are saved. He said saving life of a patient must be the top priority of a doctor and his swift action can exhibit a miraculous result in his/her efforts, said the Minister.While interacting with the media persons on the occasion, the Minister said that it is endeavor of the Government to put in place best diagnostic facilities in all the health institutions across the State to save precious lives, adding that there is no compensation to the human life and doctors are doing their best. He said Government has already taken a slew of measures to improve working conditions in the health institutions and ensured adequate funds so that the doctors and para-medics can perform their duties more efficiently.He said all essential medicines and diagnostic lab tests are available free of cost for the patients in the emergency and other indoor wards and nominal charges have been fixed for OPD patients. In the rural institutions, more than 50 essential drugs are being given to the patients free of cost under Free Medical Policy. He said the efforts are being made to make the rural health institutions more accountable and responsive to curtail the referral system. He said at district level the services of various specializations are available and only critical patients are needed to be referred to the tertiary care institutions. Officiating Principal and HoD Pathology, Dr. K.K. Koul and Medical Superintendent, Dr. Dara Singh accompanied and briefed the Minister about the functioning of the GMC.