Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 23: Describing the health as a key sector concerning people’s wellbeing, Minister for Health & Medical Education, Bali Bhagat today said the Government’s focus is to provide prescribed patient care in each category of State’s 4400 health institutions.
Winding up discussion on the Demand for Grants of the Health and Medical Education Department and responding to issues raised by the members in the Legislative Assembly, the Minister said strengthening of diagnostic and infrastructural facilities with adequate staff is being flagged as top priority. He said buildings are also being constructed for all health centre’s lacking accommodation.
Bali said manpower and resources always remained the prime concern and challenge for the Government, due to which the desired quality and quantity of services could not be maintained at the grassroots level. He said J&K has a unique topography, scattered population in hilly areas, even with such odds the department has been making constant efforts to improve the services and reaching to every single person to provide this basic facility.
For overcoming the paucity of manpower, the Minister said that 656 vacancies (including doctors/specialists) have been referred to the PSC, while 1471 doctors (MBBS/Specialists/AYUSH/Dental) have been engaged under NHM to supplement the services at different levels.
Listing the major initiatives taken to give further fillip to the health services, he informed that the GoI has sanctioned 2 AIIMS and 5 Medical Colleges in the State.
“The work on establishment of 2 AIIMS at Awantipora in Kashmir and Vijaypur in Jammu is being expedited besides, works on all 5 Medical Colleges being established at Anantnag, Baramulla, Doda, Kathua & Rajouri is in full swing,” he said.
He said the Government has created 3375 posts of doctors, faculty members, para-medics and other ministerial staff for the new Medical Colleges and also referred these to the concerned recruitment agencies.
Elaborating on the status of these colleges, Bali said that till date, an amount of Rs 54 crore has been utilized on these projects. “Medical Council of India has enhanced the intake capacity of PG seats from 184 to 251 which is also a significant achievement of the Government”, he added.
Out of total allocation of Rs 900 crore under PMDP for infrastructure upgradation in existing health institutions, Rs 275 crore has been released during the year 2016-17 and for balance amount of Rs 267.33 crore, 27 new infrastructure projects have been submitted to GoI.
To further strengthen the health infra, work on 61 hospital projects out of 113 ongoing projects across the State stands completed during 2016-17, the Minister said, adding that similarly, under Capex Budget, works on 62 major projects at an estimated cost of Rs 404.24 crore are under execution, against which, Rs 149.71 crore has been utilized upto ending March, 2017.
During the current financial year, an amount of Rs 40.49 crore has been approved for these projects and as many as 7 projects are likely to be completed during the current fiscal, while 15 to be completed in 2018-19.
The Minister further informed that work on construction of 2 State level Cancer Institutions at the cost of Rs 120.00 crore each to be established at SKIMS Soura, Srinagar and GMC, Jammu is under execution. To further strengthen the ambulatory network in the State and to procure 136 Basic Life Support (BSL) ambulances, Rs 13.47 crore has been released by GoI. Moreover, the department has also purchased 24 Critical Care Ambulances during 2016-17 which have been pressed into service to provide emergency ambulance services to the people.
For strengthening the infrastructure of food laboratories in the State, the Government has procured 5 fully equipped Mobile Food Testing Vans during 2017-18. The drug testing laboratories are also being upgraded under central assistance for Rs 12.10 crore has been released; the Minister said adding that the Modern Drug & Food Testing Laboratory at Lakhanpur, Kathua has been proposed to be established through Central Assistance at a cost of Rs 34.00 crore.
Enumerating on some new initiatives, the Minister said that Government is contemplating to set up a full-fledged Medical University in the State to meet the increasing demand of doctors and other staff.
Giving details of other future projects, the Minister said that these projects include implementation of Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP) on PPP mode in 10 districts for which an amount of Rs 2.00 crore has been approved under NHM during the current financial year.
The Minister further informed that to augment the health services in the peripheral areas, the department has formulated a proposal for establishing one Model Health Institution in each constituency involving financial implication of Rs 544.98 crore.
Earlier, initiating the discussion, Mian Altaf Ahmad urged the Government to shun the policy of having ‘in-charge’ and ‘additional charges’ system for many posts in the department and asked the Government for bringing improvement in the health and education sector on ground.
Vikar Rasool Wani asked the Government for expediting the pace of construction work on projects. He also urged the Government for formulating comprehensive policy for regularization of National Health Mission (NHM) employees and also pleaded for early functioning of New Type Primary Health Centres in Banihal Constituency.
Choudhary Qamar Hussain demanded for opening of new health centres, trauma hospital and providing of adequate medical and paramedic staff in all existing health institutions in his constituency.
Choudhary Sukhnandan Kumar urged the Government to ensure senior doctors in existing health institutions of Marh constituency keeping in view cross-border shelling and also advocated for posting of doctors in Sub-District Hospital in his constituency.
Mubarak Gul called for comprehensive policy of medical students selected on the category basis like RBA for their posting in the services of the State. He also called for comprehensive drug policy in the State and demanded for proper checking of medicines.
Pawan Gupta called for strengthening the staff and infrastructure of GMC Jammu besides providing various new machines including X-Ray machines and PET Scan to the College besides filling the vacant posts in the department to streamlining the functioning of the department. He demanded expedition of the work for the up-gradation, establishment of a trauma hospital and Child and Mother Care Hospital and providing dialysis machine in Udhampur.
Mohammad Yousuf Bhat informed the house about the dilapidated condition of health care in Shopian district and urged the government to strengthen the hospitals of the district.
Mohammad Amin Bhat said the State is lagging far behind in the health sector and urged the Government to lay focus on the healthcare system of the state and take steps to improve it.
Dina Nath Bhagat demanded to provide sufficient staff especially doctors to the hospitals of his constituency besides providing ambulances to the medical centres in rural areas.
Abid Hussain Ansari demanded to provide digital X-Ray machine for PHC Zadibal, ambulances to PHCs, providing sufficient staff for PHCs and renovation and up-gradation of Leper Hospital in his constituency early completion of Maternity hospital at Zadibal.
Mohammad Akbar Lone urged the Government to expedite the work on the construction of medical centres at Madwan and Tregam villages of his constituency besides completing Hajin Hospital which is at last stage of completion.
Choudhary Mohammad Akram also complained about the shortage of medical and paramedic staff in the healthcare institutions of his constituency.
Rajiv Sharma also complained about staff shortage in healthcare institutions and demanded filling up of vacant posts at earliest to rationalize the staff of these institutes, distribution of free drugs to the poor patients in hospitals and completion of various under-construction hospital buildings in his constituency, providing critical care ambulance in Chowki Chora village of his constituency and establishment of blood bank,
Ali Mohammad Sagar asked the Government to clear liabilities pending in construction of various hospitals in the State. He identified some of the problems faced by patients in Super Speciality Hospital Jammu and urged the Government to look into the matter. He called for a blanket ban on private practice and urged the Government to streamline the functioning of SKIMS.
Javid Hussain Beigh urged the Government to maintain cleanliness and proper sanitation in Government hospitals and checking the availability of sub-standard and even fake drugs in the market and urged to take strict action against the culprits.
Usman Abdul Majid urged the Government to commission the District Hospital building in Bandipora at earliest. Krishen Lal urged the Government to provide free drugs to the poor patients. He also demanded to provide ambulances to several areas of his constituency to ferry the patients of far flung areas to nearest health centres besides establishment of Emergency hospital at Khud block in his constituency.
Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar demanded to make Unani College Nawabagh, District Hospital Ganderbal functional at earliest besides creation of posts for district hospital and filling up of other vacant posts in other hospitals of the constituency.
Bashir Ahmad Dar urged the Government to check the illegal practices in healthcare sector including private practices, availability of fake and sub-standard drugs etc.
G M Saroori urged the Government to provide staff especially Medical Assistants to the newly established sub centres, providing ambulances to various PHCs and Sub Centres, posting of doctors in various healthcare institutions, regularization policy for NHM, SBM, ASHA workers, HDF Paid workers in the State.
Davinder Maniyal urged the Government to release funds for the completion of PHC building and demanded establishment of blood bank, dental chair and other equipments. He also demanded additional staff for the Samba hospital as the hospital witness huge rush of patients.
Shah Mohammad Tantray demanded posting of staff including doctors and medical assistants in hospitals of his constituency besides providing dialysis machine oxygen plant, CT Scan machines for sub district hospital besides sanctioning project for establishment canteen. He also urged the Government to enhance honorarium of PDS workers.
Altaf Ahmad Wani demanded up-gradation of PHC to SDH at PHC Aishmuqam, PHC Sallar, PHC Pahalgam and PHC Srigufwara besides opening of new ADs in Pahalgam.
Asgar Ali Karbali urged the Government to upgrade the District Hospital Kargil as the area remains cut -off from the rest of state for more than six months so that the hospital can tackle the situation during winters. He said there are 106 posts of doctors vacant in Kargil CHC, PHC, SDHs and also urged government to provide central heating system to the Kargil hospitals keeping in view of the weather condition of the area.
RS Pathania appealed the Government to upgrade the existing staff of the Department of Health and urged the Government to take steps to ensure that the doctors serve in their own villages so that that his own people are benefitted.
Abdul Majid Padder, Abdul Majid Larmi, Raja Manzoor, Abdul Rahim Rather and Farooq Ahmed Andrabi also participated in the discussion.
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