Describing health as a key sector concerning people’s well-being, Minister for Health and Medical Education Bali Bhagat on Tuesday said the government’s focus is to provide prescribed patient care in each category of state’s 4400 health institutions.

Winding up discussion on the Demand for Grants of the Health and Medical Education Department and responding to issues raised by the members in the Legislative Assembly, the Minister said strengthening of diagnostic and infrastructural facilities with adequate staff is being flagged as top priority. He said buildings are also being constructed for all health centre’s lacking accommodation.

Mr. Bhagat said manpower and resources always remained the prime concern and challenge for the Government, due to which the desired quality and quantity of services could not be maintained at the grassroots level. He said J&K has a unique topography, scattered population in hilly areas, even with such odds the department has been making constant efforts to improve the services and reaching to every single person to provide this basic facility.

For overcoming the paucity of manpower, the Minister said that 656 vacancies (including doctors/specialists) have been referred to the PSC, while 1471 doctors (MBBS/Specialists/AYUSH/Dental) have been engaged under NHM to supplement the services at different levels. Listing the major initiatives taken to give further fillip to the health services, he informed that GoI has sanctioned 2 AIIMS and 5 Medical Colleges in the state. “The work on establishment of 2 AIIMS at Awantipora in Kashmir and Vijaypur in Jammu is being expedited besides, works on all 5 Medical Colleges being established at Anantnag, Baramulla, Doda, Kathua & Rajouri is in full swing,” he said.

He said the Government has created 3375 posts of doctors, faculty members, para-medics and other ministerial staff for the new Colleges and also referred these to the concerned recruitment agencies. Elaborating on the status of these colleges, Bali said that till date, an amount of Rs 54 crore has been utilized on these projects. “Medical Council of India has enhanced the intake capacity of PG seats from 184 to 251 which is also a significant achievement of the government”, he added.

Out of total allocation of Rs. 900 crore under PMDP for infrastructure upgradation in existing health institutions, Rs. 275 crore has been released during the year 2016-17 and for balance amount of Rs. 267.33 crore, 27 new infrastructure projects have been submitted to GoI.

To further strengthen the health infra, work on 61 hospital projects out of 113 ongoing projects across the state stands completed during 2016-17, the Minister said adding that similarly, under Capex Budget, works on 62 major projects at an estimated cost of Rs 404.24 crore are under execution, against which, Rs 149.71 crore has been utilized upto ending March, 2017.

During the current financial year, an amount of Rs. 40.49 crore has been approved for these projects and as many as 7 projects are likely to be completed during the current fiscal, while 15 to be completed in 2018-19, he replied. The Minister further informed that work on construction of 2 State level Cancer Institutions at the cost of Rs 120.00 crore each to be established at SKIMS Soura, Srinagar and GMC, Jammu is under execution.