Examiner Bureau | Srinagar:
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday reviewed the ongoing health sector reforms in Jammu and Kashmir and called for prioritising critical gaps in manpower, medical equipment and healthcare infrastructure.
Omar, who also holds the Finance portfolio, chaired the meeting attended by Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Chief Minister’s Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, and Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education, M Raju.
Senior officials and heads of major healthcare institutions, including SKIMS, Government Medical Colleges, SKIMS Medical College and Hospital, National Health Mission, J&K Medical Supplies Corporation and the Food and Drug Administration, also participated in the meeting.
The meeting reviewed progress in strengthening healthcare infrastructure and services across the Union Territory and assessed areas requiring further intervention.
Officials made detailed presentations covering healthcare infrastructure, medical education, specialised services, digital health, public health and human resources.
Omar said the Health Department had made progress over the past nearly two years in addressing manpower shortages and deficiencies in infrastructure and equipment.
He, however, cautioned that the proposed reforms would require substantial financial resources and could not be implemented in a single phase.
The Chief Minister directed the department to identify areas requiring immediate attention in accordance with available budgetary resources and focus on improving basic facilities across the primary and secondary healthcare system.
He said the report of the Advisory Committee could serve as a roadmap for implementing the proposed reforms, while projects would have to be prioritised according to available resources.
“As I am currently looking after the Finance Department as well, I reassure the department and particularly the Minister concerned that whatever we can do from the Finance Department to continue this improvement in the Health Department, we will do,” Omar said.
The meeting also reviewed the functioning and requirements of Government Medical Colleges, SKIMS and other tertiary- and district-level healthcare institutions.
Discussions focused on improving patient care, upgrading infrastructure and equipment, expanding medical education and strengthening specialised healthcare services.
The Chief Minister stressed the need for effective utilisation of available resources while ensuring that critical gaps affecting patient care are addressed on priority.
Several priority areas were examined during the meeting, including cancer care, expansion of medical education and seat capacity, digital health services, oral healthcare, food safety, mental health, drug de-addiction, liver transplant services, nutritional support and geriatric care.
The review is part of the government’s broader effort to strengthen the health system across Jammu and Kashmir, with emphasis on improving accessibility, quality of care and institutional capacity.
Officials were directed to continue assessing requirements across different levels of the healthcare system and align future interventions with available financial resources and identified priorities.
