Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 4: RTI activist and social worker, Balvinder Singh, today met with Sakina Masood Itoo, the Minister for Health, Medical Education, Higher Education, and Social Welfare, to address critical healthcare challenges in Jammu.
During the meeting, Singh presented several key recommendations aimed at improving patient care and healthcare infrastructure.
One of the primary suggestions was to ensure that the patients receive nutritious meals by introducing strict conditions in the new tender process, including eggs and milk in meals. He also proposed enhanced monitoring to ensure fair distribution of food.
Singh called for incentivizing doctors to work in rural areas by doubling their Housing Rent Allowance (HRA) and creating a transparent transfer system for doctors completing rural postings.
Singh emphasized the need for a five-year compulsory rural service for doctors applying for postgraduate courses in Government Medical Colleges, with Rs 50 lakh penalty for violations.
He also demanded the closure of 15 Urban Health Centres (UHCs) near existing medical institutions, citing the wasteful expenditure on these centres while rural areas suffer from a severe shortage of doctors.
Additionally, Singh raised concerns about the high prices of medicines at AMRIT Pharmacies and irregularities in the GeM procurement process, highlighting corruption within the system.
Minister Itoo assured Singh that the recommendations would be reviewed and any beneficial measures for improving healthcare would be considered for implementation.
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