Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 21: Dispelling strongly the wrong notions being created about the Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the tertiary care hospitals of the state, Minister for Medical Education, Youth Services and Sports, Taj Mohi-ud-Din today said the concept is aimed at making available quality diagnostic equipment to people at these hospitals which the state cannot afford otherwise.
Winding up the discussion on demand of grants for the Medical Education Department in the House today, the Minister said the suggestion of PPP came from the meeting of a high level task force on health sector held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister at Srinagar last summer. He said since the diagnostic equipment like MRI machines, PET Scan etc are costly ones and given the financial conditions of the state purchasing the same was not an option resulting into inconvenience to patients.
Consequently, the Minister said, some financial institutions were approached for funding but that too did not materialize and subsequently the PPP mode was thought over.
The Minister said under the PPP mode conditions have been strictly laid that the rates for diagnostic tests would be determined by the Government and the patients belonging to below poverty line would be given 50% concession. Under PPP mode we have given the patients facilities which we could not afford otherwise, he said and added some high end diagnostic machines have been installed at SMHS Srinagar, Bone and Joints Hospital Srinagar and GMC Jammu.
On the initiatives taken by the department, Mr. Taj said the intake capacity of the Medical Colleges of the State has been increased by 150 seats and that of the Ancillary Medical Training Schools of Srinagar and Jammu has been enhanced from 510 seats to 1020 seats. Besides, he said a Nursing Council Act has been put in place.
The Minister said two premier hospitals of the state viz SMHS and SMGS besides the Medical Colleges of Jammu and Srinagar are under constant improvement process. He said ever since he took over SMGS hospital is continuously under renovation and so far 8 wards have been revamped on clear medical lines. He said the sanitation at SMGS hospital has been mechanized with the induction of imported ride on machines which have a very fast speed of cleaning.
Mr. Taj said computerization of medical records of these two hospitals is under process and every ward would be connected online with the drug store. He said computerized ticketing is all set to take off in SMHS Srinagar whileas it is in advanced stage of completion in Jammu.
The Minister said triage – a European concept of treating emergencies has been introduced at SMHS, Srinagar and it is successfully in operation there. He said under this concept a critically ill patient is given all medical assistance at the time of his admission only to get him out of danger.
Mr. Taj said among the notable achievements of his department this year, has been the commissioning of Super Specialty Hospital, Jammu where 8 departments have been made functional so far. He said work on Trauma Hospital Srinagar is in advanced stage and similarly work on the 2nd phase of Government Dental College Jammu is apace. He said with the sanctioning of two Rs. 120 crore each State Cancer Centers, the patients of the state would be saved of going out of the state for treatment and spending huge amounts on that.
Twenty One Members participated in the discussion which included, Dr. Mustafa Kamaal, A. R Veeri, Balwant Singh Mankotia, Hakim Yaseen, M. Y. Tarigami, Krishan Chander Bhagat, Jugal Kishore, Harshdev Singh, Nasir Aslam Wani, Dr. Mohammad Shafi, Er. Abdul Rashid, Charanjit Singh, Javed Mustafa Mir, Ashwani Sharma, Ashok Kumar, Durga Dass, Irfan Shah, Javed Ahmed Dar, Peerzada Mansoor Hussain, Rafi Ahmed Mir, Bharat Bushan and Rachpal Singh.
Earlier, the Minister moved the demand for grant of a sum of Rs. 2199.43 crore to defray the charges which will come in the course of payment during the year ending March, 2015.
The Members who had moved the cut motions withdrew the same after satisfactory reply from the Minister.
Later, the House passed the grants with the voice vote.
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