Srinagar, Sep 14: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday chaired a meeting to review health sector reforms and the roadmap for further strengthening healthcare services across Jammu and Kashmir, assuring the Health Department of continued support and stating that whatever can be done from the Finance Department to continue the improvement will be done.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Health & Medical Education Sakina Itoo, Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta and Commissioner Secretary, Health & Medical Education, M. Raju, along with Director SKIMS, Principals of all Government Medical Colleges of J&K, Principal SKIMS Medical College & Hospital, Mission Director National Health Mission J&K, Managing Director J&K Medical Supplies Corporation Limited, Commissioner Food & Drug Administration and other concerned officers, while officers stationed outside Srinagar participated through video conferencing.
Detailed presentations were made by the respective heads of the Advisory Committee on various aspects of the health sector, including healthcare infrastructure, medical education, specialized healthcare services, digital health, public health and human resource requirements, with the meeting reviewing the progress made in strengthening healthcare infrastructure and services across J&K and taking stock of the requirements and priorities for further improvement in the sector.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister appreciated the Health Department for the steps taken over the last nearly two years to address manpower shortages as well as infrastructure and equipment deficiencies, stating that he appreciated all the steps the department had taken over the last almost two years both in terms of addressing infrastructure and equipment deficiencies.
 He advised the department to focus on filling up critical gaps in the system as per the expected budgetary allocations, saying the report of the Advisory Committee would serve as the road map in this direction, and noted that the elaborate and extensive reforms plan would require huge funding, with the report suggesting what the healthcare system should look like in an ideal situation though the financial resources required may not be available in one go.
The Chief Minister underlined the need to prioritize and plan which components need more immediate attention besides improving the basic facilities of the primary and secondary healthcare system, and assured the Health Department of continued support for further strengthening the sector.
The meeting also reviewed the functioning and requirements of Government Medical Colleges, SKIMS and other tertiary and district-level healthcare institutions, with particular focus on improving patient care, infrastructure, equipment, medical education and specialized services. The discussions covered a wide range of areas, including cancer care, medical education and seat capacity, digital health services, oral healthcare, food safety, mental health and drug de-addiction, liver transplant services, nutritional support and geriatric care.
