Govt keen to upgrade health care facilities in J&K: Omar

Various initiatives have been taken to upgrade facilities at SKIMS in the past 5 years

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said his government is keen to upgrade health care facilities in tertiary hospitals so that the patients do not have to go outside the state for treatment.

"The government is keen to further upgrade the facilities in SKIMS (Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences) and other tertiary hospitals... Modernisation of health sector is being carried forward by the government on priority," he said while chairing the 41st governing body meeting of SKIMS here.

Omar said during the past five years various initiatives had been taken to upgrade and modernise facilities at SKIMS and other health institutions, besides extending health care facilities in urban as well as rural areas.

"We are keen to see SKIMS growing as one of the leading tertiary health institution in the country and providing all kinds of modern treatment to patients qualitatively at the lowest cost," he said.

Omar said the government will take all necessary measures for installation of PET-CT Scanner in SKIMS so that patients do not have to travel to Delhi to avail the facility.

In a power point presentation, SKIMS Director Showkat Hussain Zargar stated six modern facilities approved by the Chief Minister had been put in place at the hospital SKIMS and were functional. These include Liner-Multi Slice CT Scan, New Emergency Operation Theatre and modern units for treatment of cancer and other critical diseases.

The renovation of sanitation project has been initiated after a period of 35 years and has been completed at a cost of Rs 3.50 crore, the director said. He said the 24-bed surgical ICU is under execution at a cost of Rs 5.50 crore, and a diagnostic laboratory and 120-bed new ward block is also being taken in hand at a cost of over Rs 40 crore.

In addition, the work for operation theatres has been started, he said, adding advance cancer immunology diagnostic laboratory and viral diagnostic laboratory is being set up in the institution at a cost of over Rs 20 crore.

The meeting discussed issues relating to enhancement of superannuation age for staff and teaching faculty of SKIMS, Bemina Hospital and Nursing College. It also discussed proposals regarding creation of an advanced paediatric centre at SKIMS.