Minister for Health and Medical Education, Bali Bhagat informed the House that all the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir division have sufficient number of health centers.The Minister was replying to a Calling Attention Notice by MLC Surinder Choudhary seeking Government’s attention towards the situation arisen due to non-availability of basic facilities in health institutions in the border areas.The Minister said that all the health centers in these areas are providing proper healthcare facilities to the locals meeting out the basic primary healthcare to the inhabitants of these areas.
“The required medicines as per the norms are being provided in these health institutions under free drugs policy besides, all basic facilities like IV fluids, analgesics, anti-pyretic, anti-inflammatory, antibiotics, dressing materials and other allied items are being provided as per the need and requirement in adequate quantities,” he said.The Minister said the manpower and infrastructure of these health institutions has been augmented by providing adequate staff and specialized equipment, to cater to the basic needs of the inhabitants of these areas.In addition, he said additional staff and ambulances from nearby health institutions have been deputed to cater to the emergencies as and when arising.Similarly, the Health Department has always remained at the forefront to meet out the eventualities that may arise due to harsh winters, cross-border firing or natural calamities/catastrophes by providing all the required basic facilities to the inhabitants of the border areas in order to minimize the damage in the form of causalities.