J&K health infra revamped in past 2 yrs, increased manifold

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Financial Commissioner (Health and Medical Education) Atul Dulloo Sunday stated that continuous efforts have been made for revamping of the Health Sector in Jammu and Kashmir, especially during the last two years, by way of up-gradation of health infrastructure, improving health care delivery services.

“Moreover, improvement in supply chain mechanism, human resource strengthening and undertaking reforms in Medical and Nursing Education, also resulted in improvement of health indicators of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir as revealed by the National Family Health Survey-5 report (2019-20) released in December 2020,” the Health Commissioner said.

Sharing the details, Dulloo said that MBBS seats are increased with the establishment of five New Medical Colleges sanctioned at Anantnag, Baramulla, Doda, Kathua and Rajouri at a cost of Rs 189 Crore per college.

The infrastructure of these Medical Colleges he said that is at different stages of completion, however, classes have been made operational for the first batch of MBBS students on a makeshift arrangement basis in four medical colleges from the year 2019-2020 while as in Medical College Doda, classes for the first batch have been started from the academic session 2020-21.

“With the sanction of five new medical colleges, the MBBS intake capacity has increased from 500 to 1100 seats in the UT of J&K while two additional new Medical Colleges, one each at Handwara and Udhampur have been sanctioned by MoH&FW, GOI at a cost of Rs 325 Crore per college and the work on these colleges has also been put to execution,” he claimed.

The Financial Commissioner added that in order to strengthen Ayush Health Care services, Ayurvedic Medical College at Jammu and Unani College at Srinagar have been made functional and the First Batch of 60 BUMS Students in Unani Medical College at Ganderbal, Kashmir started from the academic session 2020-21.

On the establishment of AIIMS, Dulloo asserted that two All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), one each at Vijaypur, District Samba and Awantipora, District Pulwama @ Rs 2000 Crore were sanctioned by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India under PMDP.

“Boundary Walls on the both sites completed and work on main campus started by the CPWD and the first Batch of 50 MBBS students of AIIMS, Jammu (presently functional in AIIMS, Rishikesh) is being shifted in the makeshift arrangement to Medical College, Jammu till completion of AIIMS building at Vijaypur, Samba,” he narrated.

The Health Commissioner, however, also added that the BSc. Nursing and BSc. Paramedical Education has also been strengthened manifold.

“To improve Nursing education and availability of trained Nursing Staff, five B.Sc. Nursing Colleges have been sanctioned under PMDP, out of which, BSc. Nursing Courses have been started in three nursing colleges during 2020-21 viz. GMC Anantnag, GMC Baramulla and Nursing College Gangyal with an intake capacity of 140 seats. First batch of BSc. Nursing has started,” he revealed.

Besides this, 10 more Nursing Colleges have been approved by way of Up-gradation of existing ANM/GNM Schools under CSS, “Strengthening of Nursing Services” thus making a total of 15 Nursing Colleges in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, said Dulloo adding, “Up-gradation of infrastructure in these colleges is at different stages of completion and proposal for the creation of requisite posts for running these colleges is under consideration.

“For the first time in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, BSc. Paramedical courses have also been started in seven Govt Medical Colleges with intake capacity of 590 seats and the first batch of B.Sc paramedical students have already been started,” he said. (UNI)

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