JAMMU: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo today held a detailed review of infrastructure and services upgradation in health sector across all districts of Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting thoroughly analysed the action taken upon progress on key construction projects, introduction of specialization courses like MD/MS, DM/MCH, and DNB, increase of 50 MBBS seats in new medical colleges, status of faculty recruitment besides addressing the challenge of shortage of doctors in remote areas along with reviewing the action plan for strengthening tertiary care services in all the newly established GMCs.
The meeting besides Secretary, H&ME was attended by Secretary, PWD; Secretary Technical, H&ME; Director, SKIMS; DG, Budget; MD, JKPCC; Principals of all GMCs, MD, JKMSCL; Director Health, Jammu/Kashmir and other concerned officers. During the meeting, Chief Secretary impressed upon the Principals of new GMCs to create an augmentation plan of their own to reduce the referrals from these health institutions. He asked them to dovetail the existing resources for making a comprehensive strategy to enhance the capacity of their medics in coordination with SKIMS and GMCs of Srinagar and Jammu.
He stressed on taking swift measures to augment critical care services to save lives of the patients by making timely interventions. He impressed upon them to receive the requisite handholding from the SKIMS or GMC Jammu/Srinagar with respect to training of staff besides acquiring the small equipments, necessary consumables to deal with such emergencies.
The Chief Secretary further enquired from each Principal of the medical college about the new specialized courses like MD/MS,DM/MCH, and DNB they had made applications for as per past directions. He made out that such applications needs to be vigorously pursued as per set norms so that the NMC approval is secured in favour of all of them.
As far as the introduction of additional 50 MBBS seats are concerned, he stressed on securing the requisite faculty. He urged them to fill all the entry level posts besides taking steps like hiring of staff on academic arrangement where no feasible candidates are available to fill higher positions of Professors and Associate Professors.
Moreover, while taking note of the availability of doctors in remote areas, he asked for encouraging the doctors to join such places by offering them the Hardship Allowance or Non-Practising Allowances. He directed for identifying all such healthcare institutions which are lying in far off areas and deficit in medical staff.
In his presentation, Secretary, H&ME, Dr Syed Abid Rasheed Shah informed the meeting that a total of 333 applications have been submitted to enhance seat availability for MD/MS, DM/MCH, and DNB programs across various medical colleges here. He added that the approval has been received for two DM Neurology seats in GMC Srinagar and three Public Health Dentistry seats in IGGDC Jammu.
Regarding the enhancement of additional 50 MBBS seats in new medical colleges, he made out that applications have been submitted by all nine medical colleges of the UT and these are waiting for the pre-requisite NMC inspection for their approval of the same. It was also revealed that three-member NMC Coordination Cell has been established under the Chairmanship of the Secretary Technical, H&ME Department to iron out any issues faced by colleges in this pursuit.
With respect to faculty recruitment in New Medical Colleges, the meeting was informed that appointment orders have been issued for 50 faculty and gazetted positions. Additionally 51 candidates have received engagement orders under academic arrangements also. As far as the progress on major infrastructure and development projects is concerned, MD NHM, Nazim Zia informed the meeting that the work on key infrastructure projects is being expedited.
He made out that the tendering and work allocation under the PM ABHIM scheme has been accelerated with work apace on several of these projects. He also mentioned that the works on all the critical care blocks in DHs, 9 Community Health Centers (CHCs), 236 Block Public Health Units (BPHUs) stands awarded, with 77 already started on the site.
Other notable projects include the State Cancer Institutes, where the procurement of a Linear Accelerator (LINAC) is in its final stages for full functionality. The meeting also discussed the pace and progress on the balance works of New Medical Colleges at Kathua, Doda, Anantnag, Baramulla setting deadline for each of them. GMC Udhampur is set for completion by July 2025, with 75% of the work already finished. The progress on relocation of GMC, Handwara to some feasible site was also taken appraisal of. It was said that the relocation is in final stage.
About the status of Specialities, the meeting was informed that the Pediatric Hospital in Srinagar is fully operational, providing advanced child healthcare services. The Super Specialty Hospital in Jammu had been provisioned with a state-of-the-art Cath Lab, to offer high-end cardiology services. Regarding augmentation of health services in other areas it was said that a 125-bedded hospital in Reshipora, Budgam, and a 100-bedded Maternal & Child Health Hospital in Lamberi are under construction, set to be completed in 2026.
To tackle the shortage of doctors in underserved areas, the government is launching several initiatives including providing special hardship allowances, non-practicing allowance to attract medical professionals to remote locations besides fast-tracking the recruitment of medical officers. The meeting was apprised that over 275 medical officers are set to be appointed, with 582 non-gazetted vacancies referred to the Jammu & Kashmir Services Selection Board for immediate recruitment which would help in tiding over this staff deficit to a larger extent.
