100-bed maternity hospital in Srinagar soon, J

Srinagar, Feb 20 (UNI) Announcing the setting up of a 100-bed maternity hospital here to ease pressure on the only hospital for women ''Lal Ded'', Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi said the government has also initiated several measures for making specialised treatment available to the people at district and block levels.

He said the government accords top priority to the health sector keeping in view the topography of the State.

National Rural Health Mission (NHRM) envisaging total health care especially for the women folk has been launched in the state with liberal central funding, Mr Azad said.

Addressing the 30th Governing Body meeting of Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) here, the Chief Minister enjoined upon those at the helm of affairs of premier health institutions to consolidate their infrastructure.

He said the Governing Body of SKIMS has recently approved construction of 100-bed maternity hospital to bolster the obstetrics and gynaecology department to ease pressure on Lal Ded Hospital, Srinagar.

The proposed cost of the hospital will be Rs 15.82 crore, he said, adding that several measures are afoot for revamping SKIMS particularly modernising the departments of linear Accelerator, Eco-Cardiography and Neo-natology.

Highlighting the importance of improved health care system, the Mr Azad said government medical college hospitals of Srinagar and Jammu were being brought under super-specialty health map.

He asked authorities that the latest diagnostic equipment required for these health institutions needs to be listed before 2010.

The Chief Minister appreciated the plan conceived for establishing Cancer Hospital at Katra with a cost of Rs 100 crore.

Mr Azad further said creation of manpower for running the health institutions successfully would be taken on priority and asked the Secretary Health and Medical Education K B Jandial to explore possibility for appointing retired doctors, if required.

He said eight Trauma hospitals were presently under construction at various places and some of them nearing completion.

The concerned doctors would be imparted special training regarding trauma and emergency treatment, he added.

Earlier, giving resume of the functioning of SKIMS Director Dr Abdul Hamid Zargar said the present bed strength of the institute has risen to 600 from 160 and about five lakh people visited the institute for treatment purposes so far.

The institute has attained the state of art technology, including video endoscopy, basketting cum stone crushing in urology, special theatre tables for CVTS, neurosurgery, general and urology Surgery.

He said Laparoscopic system for general surgery and urology are also functioning in the institute.

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