Healthy health sector is foundation of developed State: Omar

Inaugurates surgical theatre, OPD block of Vivekananda Hospital.

JAMMU: Saying that the strong foundation of a progressive State is in its health status, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Thursday said that every development is secondary to the development of the health.
“Flagging this sector one of the most priority concerns in government policy, we have concentrated on the balanced growth and development of health sector in the State”, he said adding that focus is on upgradation of health facilities in villages to lessen the pressure on district and city hospitals.
The Chief Minister was addressing a function after inaugurating renovated theatre and OPD block in Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission Charitable Hospital at Ambphalla here, the Chief Minister said that charitable hospitals have an important role in supplementing the efforts of government to universalize health care facilities to the people especially poor and downtrodden.
The function was organized by the SV Medical Mission on 149th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanada today.
“Though we have done a lot to improve the conditions of hospitals and health centres in the State but much more has to be done in this direction to develop this sector as a model sector”, he said adding that priority attention of the government is to ensure quality treatment to the patients in government hospitals. “This is a biggest challenge before us and we have initiated various measures in this direction to make the necessary dent”, he added referring to the constitution of Task Force on health sector for its modernization and consolidation.
The Chief Minister said that the doctors and functionaries in health institutions have equal responsibility to ensure better health care facilities to the patients. He laid stress on cleanliness of health centres and delivery of befitting service by the staff.
Announcing a grant of Rs. 10 lakhs for Vivekananda Hospital for purchase of modern theatre equipments, the Chief Minister said that he had earlier approved Rs. 10 lakhs for this purpose. “I see the Hospital has utilized it to purchase C-Arm equipment”, he said maintaining that the additional amount would help to add more modern gadgets in the Hospital.
“My government will help the charitable hospitals through all possible ways to enhance their service quality and provide more and more indoor and outdoor treatment facilities to the poor”, he added and said that this would help the government to universalize quality health facilities.
Omar Abdullah congratulated the management of the Hospital for rendering good service to the society and showing steady growth and upgradation during past years. “I wish progress and development of this Mission Hospital more rapidly”, he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Medical Education, R. S. Chib said that Vivekananda Medical Mission Charitable Hospital has shown positive growth and development since its inception. “It started as a simple health unit and has now grown into a full-fledged hospital”, he said and lauded the hospital management for this achievement.
Chib said that government would extend whatever help possible for further improvement of the hospital so that its coverage of treatment to poor is expanded. He listed the measures State Government is taking for upgrading the health care facilities in the State and said that the keen interest of Chief Minister to modernize health sector in the State has given considerable push to the pace of upgradation of this sector in the State.
The Minister said that besides primary health care facilities, the government is focusing on upgradation and modernization of tertiary health care system. “Many new hospital complexes are coming up with modern medical gadgets”, he said adding that the State has embarked upon an ambitious programme of improving and updating the health facilities in the State.
Former Minister and Legislator, Chaman Lal Gupta in his speech listed the achievements and growth registered by the hospital since its inception. He thanked the Chief Minister for his interest in the development of the charitable hospital and the grants approved by him for enhancing the quality of service in the hospital.
It was stated that during over 1.05 lakh outdoor patients have been treated in the Hospital during last three years while over 1500 indoor patients underwent various surgeries in the Hospital. Over 16000 ultra-sound, X-ray and ECG images were taken in the Hospital during the same period. The Hospital conducted over 1200 major and 500 minor operations and treated hundreds of children under immunization programme.
(KMW News)