Jammu and Kashmir Healthcare has improved after the COVID-19 situation. New GMCs have started functioning, and the State Cancer Institute is also coming up, along with AIIMS, a much-needed augmentation of the infrastructure. Further improvement can only be achieved by focusing on an increase in funding for healthcare, improving access to healthcare, increasing awareness about health, providing adequate training to medical professionals about the latest upgrades, and implementing technology-driven healthcare solutions. The Government is providing enough funds as per the facts, figures, and recommendations put forward.
However, funds meant for the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Strokes (NPCDCS) have remained unutilized for many years. A State Programme Implementation Plan (SPIP) is formulated, and funds are released but have remained almost unutilised. For the last, so many years, except during 2021-22, the Health Department has not been able to utilise even half of the funds approved. Financial aid worth crores had been surrendered, and this is criminal given the ever-increasing non-communicable diseases and the corresponding increase in the death rate. As per reports by Government medical agencies, these are further expected to increase by 25% by 2025. These funds could have been used in campaigns for public awareness and to provide much-needed assistance to the poor grappling with cancer and heart ailments by covering their costly medicines.
All said and done, the administration should now ensure that due cognizance is taken and officials are held accountable for these lapses. One hopes that in the coming financial year, all approved funds get utilised properly.
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