Affordable, accessible healthcare to all segments of society our top-most priority: Sinha

Baramulla, May 13: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Friday visited Sub-District Hospital, Sopore to take stock of the facilities being provided in a Mega Health Camp.
The Mega Health Camp is being organized in collaboration with Rotary Health International at Baramulla, Kupwara & Ganderbal from 11th May where General Surgery, Gynecological Surgeries, Plastic Surgical Procedures, ENT, Urology, Orthopaedic Surgeries, Ophthalmology, Dental Procedures and other Minor Surgeries are being performed.
The Lt Governor appreciated the medical fraternity, and members of Rotary International for keeping human service paramount to build a healthy society.
Chairing a meeting regarding the Mega Health Camp, the Lt Governor said that doctors coming from across the country for the Camp reflect the core essence of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’.
While extending gratitude to Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his tireless efforts in introducing unprecedented reforms in the health sector, the Lt Governor observed that in the last 2-3 years, Jammu and Kashmir has emerged as one of the leading States/UTs in the healthcare sector and medical education.
“Affordable and accessible healthcare to all segments of society is our top-most priority. Healthcare professionals need to work together to evolve affordable healthcare strategies in the future”, the Lt Governor said.
Special attention is being given to strengthening private-public partnership, decentralization of services, extending best health facilities & developing Health & Wellness Centers in far-flung, rural, tribal, and hilly areas, he added.
The Lt Governor noted that many doctors who have come to Jammu and Kashmir for the first time for the Mega Health Camp will get the ground experience of the change that has taken place in the healthcare infrastructure in J&K.
Two AIIMS, two cancer institutes, seven new medical colleges, 10 new nursing colleges, 150 district/sub-district hospitals and thousands of health and wellness centers, besides universal health insurance coverage for up to Rs. 5 lakh under Ayushman Bharat-SEHAT have brought fundamental changes in J&K’s health care system, observed the Lt Governor.
We are dedicating greater attention to medical education. J&K is ahead of the national average with 8.23 MBBS seats per lakh population, besides spending about Rs 1.7 crore daily on medical treatments. Projects worth Rs 881 crores have been completed in the last financial year to strengthen the existing health infrastructure of district hospitals in the UT, the Lt Governor said.
As many as 23 investment proposals have been approved for Medicity which in total will add 5,865 additional beds to the existing system and at least 715 additional MBBS seats will be available for young students. Moreover, J&K is getting a much higher average per capita healthcare budget allocation (Rs 7,873 cr) than the many states having more than twice the population, he added.
Underscoring the initiatives taken by the government which led J&K to be a frontrunner in terms of Covid management & vaccination, the Lt Governor said that all 4290 Panchayats of Jammu and Kashmir are now fully capable to deal with the challenges of Covid pandemic.
Digital health systems and services have significantly improved the quality of the health system in Jammu and Kashmir during the Covid pandemic and necessary steps have been taken to ensure that this system continues in future in all districts, the Lt Governor observed.
We are also moving ahead towards online appointments and digitization of medical records of the patients, to provide Anytime, Anywhere Treatment facility to the people, added the Lt Governor.
The Lt Governor informed that the Government Medical College Jammu has become the first hospital in the Union Territory to successfully perform three kidney transplants this month.
Before August 2019, only few districts of J&K were having dialysis facility. Now, this facility has been made available in all the districts. Today, the facility of 211 Critical Care Ambulances is available to the people 24×7 across the UT, he added.
The Lt Governor appreciated the Anganwadi and ASHA workers for fulfilling their responsibility with full sensitivity and compassion to ensure health and nutritional security.
The Lt Governor also expressed pain and anguish over the barbaric killing of Rahul Bhat at Budgam.
Dr Rajiv Pradhan¸ Chief, Rotary Club briefed on the activities and health services being rendered by Rotary Health International. He informed that a team of doctors and volunteers are extending multi-specialty health services in association with Government Doctors.
Rotary club of London President, David Johnson also spoke on the occasion and briefed the gathering on various initiatives of the organization being run across the globe.
DDC Chairperson, Safina Baig while speaking on the occasion appreciated the initiative of Mega Health Camp organized to benefit people, especially from the marginal sections of the society. She also apprised the Lt Governor of various demands and issues pertaining to district Baramulla.
The Lt Governor urged the public representatives and PRI members to work with passion and determination to ensure that benefits of all welfare schemes reach the common people.