As back as in the year 2009, the Government had asked the Department of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing to make a study of and report on “Measuring Physical Accessibility to Healthcare Network ” in order to provide to the people of Jammu and Kashmir equal opportunities to the healthcare network by using geo- information technology . It had also been asked to undertake possibilities of new facilities to be scaled up for equitable accessibility by the desirous patients. It was of first of its kind to assess the healthcare network with parameters like population spread, road connectivity, terrain complexities, mode of transportation and other associated factors that could impact the accessibility and , therefore, was a model exercise. After the formalities etc of sanction and consequent undertaking of the assigned work in 2011 which was completed in 2012 . Under the exercise, all districts were duly mapped by the said Department indicating which of the areas were wanting in having the requisite healthcare reach out and where these areas could be made such so as to make accessibility possible. All these findings and recommendations were stipulated to be studied by the Health Department so as to initiate an action plan. However, perhaps, not being among the priorities of the successive Governments , for over a decade the findings were gathering dust until recently when the recommendations are decided to be implemented. Better late than never, we expect the process of implementation to be expedited
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