In order to tackle the unprecedented number of patients in the bone and joint related diseases in Jammu division, Minister for Health & Medical Education, Bali Bhagat laid foundation of 240-bedded exclusive Bone & Joint Hospital (B&JH) here today.This exclusive B&JH, which was a long pending demand of the patients of entire Jammu division, will be established at an estimated cost of Rs. 40.45 crore at the available land adjoining to Government Chest Diseases Hospital near Government Medical College, Jammu. The project comprises four-storey building (ground plus three) with total plinth area 10,195M and likely to be completed within a period of two years by the PWD (R&B), which is the executing agency.Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that patients from Jammu division suffering from Bone & Joint related problems and critical accidental cases used to move to Srinagar and adjoining States for treatments and spending lot of expenditure on transport and other related charges by moving outside their home town, keeping in view the ever increasing number of patients, the Government has decided to set up an exclusive B&JH in Jammu. With the establishment of this exclusive institution, there will be a great relief to the poor patients, especially to critical accidental cases, and also ease out the extra ordinary flow of patients in J&K’s only B&JH Srinagar, said the Minister.
The Minister said that State has only one Bone & Joint Hospital at Srinagar which was established way back in 1972 and catering to the needs of entire State. The similar need was felt at Jammu in view of frequent road accidents which require specialized surgical attention. If everything went normal, the Jammu’s B&JH will be operational within next two years. The project has been approved under PMDP and hospital will have the provisions of all ultra modern gadgets and diagnostic facilities. The process for creation of faculty and other staff has also been set in motion. By the time of completion of project, the faculty will also be in place, said the Minister.Maintaining that Government is committed to upgrade the existing health infrastructure and better diagnostic facilities across the State, the Minister said that during the past three years this important sector has received the focused attention of the Government and all projects have been fast paced. He said the patient flow has increased manifold in all health institutions across the State, but the infrastructure remained the same.
Now the Government has formulated a well-knit plan to upgrade the entire set up and new and advanced equipments will be added in newly carved district hospitals with requisite manpower to handle the increased flow, said the Minister. The Minister called upon the executing agency to start the work immediately and complete the projects in a time bound manner. He also directed for adhering to all norms with regard to quality and specifications strictly as per the lay out design.Among those present on the occasion included, Commissioner Food Safety, J&K, Dr. Abdul Kabir, Principal GMC, Dr Sunanda Raina, Mission Director, NHM, J&K, Dr. Yashpal Sharma, Director Family Welfare, Dr. Sameer Mattoo, Director, ISM, Neeraj Kumar, Project Director, J&K AIDS Control Society, Dr. Mushtaq Ahmed Rather, Medical Superintendent, SMGS, Dr. Dara Singh, Deputy Medical Superintendent, Dr. Rakesh Sharma, Executive Engineer, R&B (GMC Division), Utter Kumar Sharma and several faculty Members and HoDs were present on the occasion.