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JAMMU: The Committee on Estimates of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly today held a meeting under the chairmanship of Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi to review the functioning of the Health and Medical Education Department in Jammu and Kashmir, with particular focus on budgetary estimates, financial management, infrastructure development and operational efficiency.
The meeting was attended by Committee members Sham Lal Sharma, Balwant Singh Mankotia, Ali Mohammad Dar, Mushtaq Guroo, Irshad Rasool Kar, Sajad Shaheen and Sunil Bhardwaj. Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education, Saugat Biswas; Director, SKIMS; Managing Director, National Health Mission; Principals of various Government Medical Colleges; Secretary, J&K Legislative Assembly, Manoj Kumar Pandita; Director General, Budget; Directors of Health Services, Jammu and Kashmir, besides other senior officers of the concerned department and Legislative Assembly, were also present.
At the outset, the Chairman initiated the proceedings by reviewing the issues raised during the previous meeting and taking stock of the status of the Action Taken Report submitted by the department. He also took stock of the implementation status of earlier recommendations and discussed the concerns highlighted by Committee members, stressing the need for timely corrective measures to address existing gaps in healthcare delivery and ensure that the benefits of various government healthcare initiatives reach people at the grassroots level.
The Committee undertook a comprehensive review of the overall healthcare scenario across Jammu and Kashmir, including the functioning of healthcare institutions in urban, rural and remote areas, availability of medical facilities, manpower position, infrastructure development and delivery of patient-care services.
During the deliberations, the Committee examined various aspects of human resource management, including sanctioned strength and availability of gazetted and non-gazetted staff, operational requirements, the procedure for filling vacant posts and optimum deployment of manpower, particularly in far-flung and underserved areas.
The Committee also reviewed the status of ongoing infrastructure projects, maintenance and repair of healthcare institutions, availability and functionality of medical machinery and equipment, utilisation of funds, hospital development works, heating arrangements, drug control drives and effective utilisation of ambulance services.
The Chairman directed the concerned Heads of Departments to accord priority to the issues highlighted during the meeting and take necessary measures for their early resolution to ensure accessible, affordable and quality healthcare facilities for the general public.
Emphasising the need to strengthen healthcare services in remote, far-flung and snowbound areas, Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi stressed that hospitals and other healthcare institutions must be adequately equipped with essential medicines, diagnostic facilities, modern medical equipment and qualified healthcare professionals. He observed that people living in remote areas should not be compelled to travel long distances to access basic medical treatment.
He specifically directed the department to expedite the introduction of telemedicine services in snowbound and far-flung areas of the Union Territory to facilitate timely medical consultation and ensure better access to specialist healthcare services.
Underscoring that public health must remain the foremost priority, the Chairman stressed optimum utilisation and rational deployment of available manpower, particularly in underserved areas. He also called for effective implementation of the biometric attendance system for healthcare personnel and strengthened monitoring mechanisms at all levels to ensure accountability, punctuality and improved delivery of healthcare services.
The Chairman further emphasised that regular monitoring, coordinated efforts and effective implementation of departmental initiatives are essential to strengthen the healthcare delivery system and ensure that quality medical facilities are accessible to every citizen across Jammu and Kashmir.
