Reviews progress of health sector reforms in J&K
SRINAGAR, JUNE 06: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, Saturday chaired a comprehensive review meeting to assess the progress achieved under the Health Sector Reforms being implemented across Jammu and Kashmir over the past couple of years.
The meeting examined reforms aimed at strengthening tertiary and secondary healthcare services, expanding medical education, enhancing digital health infrastructure and improving access to specialized treatment facilities across the healthcare facilities of the Union Territory.
The meeting besides Commissioner Secretary, Health & Medical Education was attended by Director, SKIMS; MD, NHM; CEO, SHA; Principals of Government Medical Colleges; Director Health, Kashmir/Jammu representatives from AIIMS Jammu, SMVDIME and other senior officers associated with the healthcare sector.
During the review, the Chief Secretary was apprised of the significant strides made in establishing collaborative institutional frameworks among Government Medical Colleges, SKIMS, AIIMS Jammu and other healthcare institutions for strengthening specialty and super-specialty services, capacity building, academic collaboration, research initiatives and digital healthcare delivery.
While reviewing the progress achieved under the health sector reforms programme, the Chief Secretary emphasized that every tertiary care institution in Jammu and Kashmir should strive towards establishing and strengthening critical care, trauma care and emergency medicine services, observing that these areas are among the most significant determinants of quality patient care and healthcare outcomes.
He further directed that the benefits of the reform process should not remain confined to the newly established Government Medical Colleges alone. He called for inclusion of District Hospitals and Sub-District Hospitals, particularly in those areas where no Government Medical College exists, so that healthcare upgradation reaches all regions of the Union Territory in a balanced and equitable manner. He observed that future interventions should be planned according to the strengths, requirements and service potential of each healthcare institution.
The Chief Secretary assured the department of full administrative and financial support for viable and impactful healthcare initiatives and encouraged the officers to proactively formulate innovative proposals aimed at improving patient care, medical education and healthcare delivery across Jammu and Kashmir.
Highlighting the growing role of technology in healthcare, he directed the department to expand the ambit of Virtual Medical Boards to cover more specialties and institutions. He also called for the introduction of Grand Rounds, virtual academic sessions and online teaching platforms in peripheral healthcare institutions to facilitate continuous professional development, strengthen specialist support and improve clinical outcomes.
The Chief Secretary further advised the department to establish a clearly defined Roles, Responsibilities and Accountability Framework across healthcare institutions so that responsibilities at every level are well delineated and measurable. He stressed the need for instituting a robust Monitoring, Evaluation and Review Mechanism supported by information technology platforms to facilitate real-time assessment of healthcare services, patient utilization patterns and institutional performance across the Union Territory.
Calling for a forward-looking approach, the Chief Secretary directed the Health & Medical Education Department to identify measurable milestones and targets for the next six months, one year and two years in the areas of healthcare services, medical education and research.
