Undoubtedly, a perceptible change and progress in providing healthcare and raising its infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir can be claimed by the UT Government having taken place since 2014 but the fact of the matter is that much remains to be done . A dispersal on an even basis covering the usually neglected rural and far flung areas in matters of medical facilities and healthcare and not only in urban and city areas, would constitute real growth in medical infrastructure in the true sense. The fact being that a whooping budgetary allocation of Rs.7200 crore on annual basis being spent on various projects concerning healthcare infrastructure being the highest ever, equally, cannot be ignored rebutting the claims of some political leaders that no progress has been achieved “in any field” .
That 5 % percent of the total Budget going towards Healthcare , highest ever so far, though spectacular still needed reasonably more allocation . However, it is primarily also due to the fact that the premier Medical institutions of Jammu and Kashmir could meet the dire challenge on account of the two waves, one after the other, of the COVID-19 virus pandemic because of a reasonably raised favourable medical infrastructure and dedicated medical personnel. Nevertheless, except minor difficulties in providing oxygen to the needy patients during the currency of the second wave, we could not per-se encounter any major problems . Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha having dwelt upon the issue while addressing virtually 39th annual day of SKIMS , Soura, while sharing that Rs.1456 crore has been earmarked for the current financial year for the healthcare, we feel that opening up new medical institutions like upcoming 2 AIIMS and 7 new Medical colleges must make the UT stand comfortably in the developed regions of the country. More medical seats and students undergoing medical studies would mean more Doctors to take on effectively the persistent shortage of Doctors especially in our rural sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
Follow our WhatsApp channel