Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Mar 17: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Jammu & Kashmir president and Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Sat Sharma, raised a significant issue concerning the need for strengthening healthcare infrastructure in Jammu & Kashmir during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha.
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While addressing the House, Sat Sharma emphasized that ensuring robust hospital infrastructure, adequate availability of doctors, and modern medical facilities across urban, rural, and border areas is essential to guarantee timely and quality healthcare for every citizen. He stressed that there is an urgent need to further modernize and expand healthcare services in Jammu & Kashmir, particularly in rural, remote, and border regions where access to quality medical care remains a challenge.
Sat Sharma underscored that Jammu & Kashmir has witnessed a remarkable transformation in the healthcare sector in recent years, driven by the visionary leadership of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Union Health Minister JP Nadda. He noted that the historic abrogation of Article 370 paved the way for unprecedented policy interventions and liberal financial support, significantly accelerating infrastructure development in the region. He also expressed gratitude for landmark initiatives such as the sanctioning of two AIIMS in Jammu & Kashmir, besides more premier health, as well as health education institutions to strengthen tertiary healthcare capacity in the Union Territory.
He lauded the implementation of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and the extended SEHAT scheme, which have ensured universal health insurance coverage for all residents of Jammu & Kashmir, offering cashless treatment up to Rs 5 lakh per family annually at empanelled hospitals.
However, Sat Sharma expressed concern over persistent infrastructural gaps, pointing out that a significant number of doctor and nursing positions remain vacant in rural healthcare institutions. He noted that out of 1,677 sanctioned posts of doctors and medical officers in rural Primary Health Centres, only about 1,030 are filled, leaving around 647 positions vacant. Similarly, 177 posts of staff nurses remain unfilled, adversely affecting healthcare delivery.
He stressed that these gaps are particularly critical given the difficult terrain, high-altitude regions, and border districts of the Union Territory, where patients often have to travel long distances to reach tertiary care hospitals in cities like Jammu and Srinagar. In emergency situations, delays caused by distance, terrain, and weather can pose serious risks to lives.
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