Delivery of healthcare to citizens should be our highest priority: Bhupinder Kumar

Srinagar, Aug 22: After assuming charge as Administrative Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department, Bhupinder Kumar chaired a meeting of all HoDs of Health and Medical Education Department and reviewed the functioning of the various departments including the status of establishment of new medical colleges in the UT of J&K.
At the outset of the meeting Bhupinder Kumar appreciated the role of all the Health Care workers across the UT in mitigating the COVID crisis. He highlighted the efficient team work in building up the various systems and required Infrastructure for tackling COVID-19 pandemic and building up a robust response by the Government of J&K.
In his opening remarks, he laid emphasis towards developing strategies for focusing on Preventive and Promotive Health Care for people of the UT. The incidence of Non-communicable Diseases (NCD’s) including Hypertension, Diabetics, Cancer’s and life consuming diseases are the cause of highest financial burdens to households. The Government of India has been liberal in launching the Ayushman Bharat Jan Arogya Yojna and SEHAT schemes by providing an annual health cover of Rs.5.00 lacs to all families to prevent catastrophic health expenditures. In addition, he emphasized on disease prevention, health promotion and early defection of NCDs by population based screening.
Other issues which were discussed in the meeting include compulsory bio-metric attendance in all the Institutions, ensuring high level of sanitation in the hospitals, monitoring of the Bio-Medical Equipment maintenance program and the ban on private practice during working hours by the Doctors.
The Administrative Secretary while taking serious note of the reports of some doctors doing private practice during working hours said that this practice shall not be tolerated and strict administrative action shall follow against such Doctors. He said that no DDO shall be allowed to draw the salary of any Health official who is attached and such culture of adhocism shall be done away with. He said that focus shall be laid on making cheap and affordable medicines available for patients through the Jan Aushadhi chain of Stores in the Health Institutions of J&K. Appreciating the launch of the Digital Health Mission, he said that this is a huge milestone in the delivery of Health Care of the Country and directions have been issued for its smooth launch.
A PowerPoint presentation was presented by the Director Coordination, New Medical Colleges, J&K about the status of operationalizing the new Medical Colleges Handwara and Udhampur. A detailed overview was also presented about the already established New Medical Colleges.
He thanked all the Heads of Departments including the Principals of the Medical Colleges for their role in improving the health care delivery in J&K and emphasized on making continuous efforts to improve the quality of healthcare which ultimately leads to a higher satisfaction level among the General Public.