Shrine Board to start multi-specialty hospital next year

Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 14: The prestigious 230 beds multi specialty hospital-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) is being made operational next year.
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) would run the hospital, which would provide super multi specialties in the Institute, which has been coming up at Kakryal near holy town of Katra, the base camp of Mata Vaishno Devi ji shrine.
“The hospital is fast nearing completion. Most of the construction work has been completed. Installation of infrastructure is on. Hopefully, the Institute would be commissioned next year,” SMVDSB CEO Dr Mandeep K Bhandari told the Excelsior.
The project had initially been conceived as Cancer Hospital with three additional Super Specialties. However, the Shrine Board later decided to make it multi specialty hospital to provide all facilities to the patients under one roof.
“Not only the pilgrims, the multi specialty hospital would benefit the patients of Jammu and Kashmir and even the surrounding States after it was commissioned next year as it was being equipped with state-of-the-art equipments and best available faculty,” Dr Bhandari said.
Official sources said the SMVDIME would be a multi specialty hospital only and there was no immediate proposal with the Shrine Board to start a Medical College. However, the proposal to start a Medical College could be taken up with the Medical Council of India (MCI) later.
According to sources, modalities for running the new hospital were being worked out by a Sub Committee set up by Shrine Board Chairman Governor NN Vohra.
The Sub Committee would work out details on recruitment of faculty and other staff for the hospital, mode to run the hospital, installation of apparatus and super specialties to be launched in the hospital.
The Sub Committee would come out with details soon after which the Shrine Board would give nod to commissioning of the hospital.
Sources said though the patients of entire Jammu and Kashmir and other States would benefit from multi specialties being introduced in the hospital, it would be of immense help for over 30,000 pilgrims visiting holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi ji daily on an average as they would get all emergency facilities at Katra itself.
The hospital would have separate emergency and disaster management sections in case of any eventuality.
This would be second major project of SMVDSB, which was already running prestigious University-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University near Katra town.
Sources attributed delay in commissioning of the hospital to making it multi specialty hospital instead of previous decision to start it as Cancer Hospital with only four super specialties. The previous idea was not found feasible as some of the patients required treatment by different specialties under one roof.
“Therefore, the Shrine Board decided to convert it as multi specialty hospital for benefit of all patients,” they said.
The hospital has been constructed in such a way that the patients would have glimpse of Trikuta Hills very clearly.

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