Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, Thursday said that revolutionary steps are being taken for expansion and upgradation of healthcare facilities in the state to achieve the goal of providing accessible and quality healthcare to the people particularly living in far-flung villages and remote areas. Reviewing the Health and Medical Education Sector at a high level meeting here, the Chief Minister said that focus of the government during last some years was on consolidation and now expansion part would also receive a considerable fillip. Omar said that latest medical equipments and machines installed in hospitals should be fully utilized for treatment of patients. He said government has also taken different measures to provide specialists, doctors, staff nurses and other para-medics in the health institutions to improve health care service to the people. Omar said various incentives are also being given to the doctors and other staff to work in far-off health institutions and emphasized on proper utilization of facilities available to the state in health sector under various flagships programmes.
The Chief Minister received brief on the progress registered under various State and Centrally sponsored health schemes, progress on ongoing hospital buildings and on the functioning of various disciplines in the Health and Medical Education Sector including Medical Colleges, Dental Colleges, Health Services, ISM, NRHM, Drugs and Food Control, J&K Medical Supplies Corporation etc. It was given out that as many as 122 hospital projects are under progress across the State at an estimated cost of Rs.1481.62 crore. Moreover, 600 new sub-centres including 238 in hilly and remote areas have been proposed under State PIP, 2013-14.It was also informed that Union Government has selected 6 high priority districts of the State for support of United Nation Development Partner (UNDP), Norway-India partner Initiatives (NIPI).While receiving brief of progress under Indian System of Medicines, the Chief Minister asked Director ISM to establish contacts with J&KEDI and Agriculture Department to steer some among the entrepreneurs in growing and processing medicinal plants.Under NRHM, it was informed that 6 district hospitals, 15 CHCs, 23 PHCs, 63 Sub-Centres have been completed while the work on the remaining will be completed soon. Moreover, under the major hospital projects 40 PHCs and 51 sub-centres have been completed besides Super Specialty Hospital Jammu, District hospital Doda, IPD Block, District Hospital Baramulla, Phase-I, Sub-District Hospital Chenani and Trauma Centre at Thathri have been completed. As many as 11 Medical Mobile units have been provided for high focus and far flung areas of Kupwara, Anantnag, Baramulla, Leh, Udhampur, Rajouri, Reasi, Doda, Poonch, Ramban and Kishtwar, the meeting was informedMinister for Medical Education, Mr. Taj Mohi-ud-Din and Minister of State for Health, Mr. Shabir Ahmad Khan, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Mr. B. B. Vyas, Commissioner/Secretary Health, Gazanfar Hussain, Principal GMC Srinagar/Jammu, Director Health Services Jammu/Kashmir, Managing Director, J&K Medical Supplies Corporation, Director ISM, Mission Director National Health Mission, Controller, Drugs and Food Control Organization and other officers were present in the meeting.