Srinagar: Highlighting the need for the government to handhold private sector, especially in sectors such as healthcare, Minister for Power Development, Naeem Akhtar Saturday urged private hospitals to strengthen their emergency care and abilities for performing complicated surgeries and other treatments.
The Minister was addressing a gathering at the inauguration of Budgam district’s first private hospital “Ibn-Sina” located right outside the Ompura railway station.
Akther said most of the existing private hospitals do not match up to the tertiary care which the government hospitals provide, despite being home to quality doctors; Kashmir lacks a holistic healthcare system.
The Minster said at the government and private level we are always bothered about whether a doctor is punctual and if he is doing private practice or not. We should rather create an ecosystem in healthcare where services such as paramedics, nursing and sanitation are provided attention.
District Development Commissioner Budgam, Muhammad Haroon Malik said Ibn-Sina hospital will help to “fill the void of a quality private hospital” in Budgam district.
“Institutionally Budgam is lagging behind but efforts in healthcare such as Ibn-Sina rekindle the hope that entrepreneurs foraying into healthcare are ready to provide good facilities to common people,” Malik said.
Director Health Services (Kashmir), Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman who was also present at the inauguration ceremony said apart from providing healthcare services to people from Srinagar and Budgam, ‘Ibn-Sina’ hospital can also cater to the needs of patients from peripheries.
Dr Rehman said emergency and trauma care are areas which private hospitals need lay special emphasis on.
Among those who were present at the event included SSP Budgam Tejinder Singh, CEO Peaks Group, Baldev Singh.
