CS outlines vision for tertiary care expansion in peripheral healthcare institutions

JAMMU: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, held a detailed review meeting of health experts to assess the progress made by the Health & Medical Education (H&ME) Department in enhancing patient care and healthcare services across the newly established medical colleges and district hospitals across J&K.
The meeting besides Commissioner Secretary, H&ME was attended by Former Director, AIIMS Jammu; Director, SKIMS; Principals of all Government Medical Colleges (GMCs); Executive Director, SMVDIME; Managing Director, National Health Mission; Managing Director, State Health Agency J&K; Directors of Health Services, Kashmir/Jammu, and other senior faculty members of the GMCs.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary conducted a detailed review of the action taken on previous directions aimed at upgrading the seven newly established medical colleges into fully functional tertiary care institutions. He emphasized that strengthening these institutions is essential to ensure equitable access to quality healthcare services closer to people’s homes.
Highlighting the growing healthcare demands, the Chief Secretary observed that premier institutions in Jammu and Srinagar alone cannot cater to the entire population of the Union Territory. He stressed the need for new medical colleges and district hospitals to significantly augment their capacities and bridge existing gaps in specialized healthcare delivery.
Outlining the strategic roadmap, the Chief Secretary reiterated that, in the initial phase, each institution should focus on developing six key specialty services including the Trauma and Emergency Care, Critical Care Units (involving the establishment of ICUs, HDUs and CCUs) besides that of the Cardiology, Neurology, Nephrology and Oncology Departments to deliver comprehensive tertiary care to patients within their respective jurisdictions.
He further directed these institutions to work in close coordination with established centers of excellence such as AIIMS Jammu, SKIMS, and the Government Medical Colleges of Jammu and Srinagar. He noted that such collaboration would facilitate capacity building, knowledge sharing and technical support for the emerging institutions.
The Chief Secretary also underscored the importance of leveraging technology-driven initiatives, including Tele-ICU and Tele-Radiology services, to enhance diagnostic and critical care capabilities in peripheral institutions. He called upon the stakeholders to adopt a forward-looking approach and formulate concrete, time-bound action plans to achieve the targeted outcomes.
In addition to patient care, the Chief Secretary emphasized the need to strengthen medical education by increasing MBBS, postgraduate and super-specialty seats across the institutions, thereby building a robust healthcare workforce for the future.
On the occasion, Commissioner Secretary, Health & Medical Education Department, M. Raju, presented a comprehensive overview of the progress achieved by each of the newly established medical colleges in their journey towards attaining tertiary care status.
He highlighted the institution-wise advancements in infrastructure augmentation, strengthening of specialty services, capacity building of manpower, and the operationalization of critical care facilities, all aimed at elevating the standard of patient care across theUT.
He further elaborated on a well-defined roadmap for augmenting MBBS and postgraduate (PG) seats across these institutions. Emphasizing optimal utilization of existing infrastructure and resources, he underscored the need to expand academic capacity in a phased and sustainable mannerthereby improving the overall delivery of healthcare services to the people of J&K.
Speaking on the occasion, former Director, AIIMS Jammu, Prof. (Dr.) Shakti Kumar Gupta highlighted the three foundational pillars of medical science that encompasses teaching, research and patient care. He stressed the need for continuous advancement in all these domains.
He advocated the adoption of modern academic practices such as ‘grand rounds’, sharing of inter-institutional academic calendars, and collaborative learning opportunities for students across premier institutions. He also emphasized the importance of organizing research methodology workshops and upgrading patient care systems in line with emerging facilities in the hospitals.
Director, SKIMS, Prof. Ashraf Ganai encouraged the new medical colleges to actively engage with SKIMS for strengthening their services. He informed that SKIMS currently offers services across 52 specialties and is aspiring to attain the status of a quaternary care institution. He further revealed that a dedicated nodal team of experts has been constituted to support these institutions in achieving their developmental goals.
Earlier, Executive Director, SMVDIME, Dr. Yashpal Sharma presented a comprehensive overview of the roadmap for upgrading new medical colleges to tertiary care standards. He highlighted the Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed among various institutions for staff training, capacity building, faculty pooling, resource sharing and orientation programmes.
He also elaborated on the establishment of specialty-wise virtual medical boards to facilitate inter-institutional consultations on patient care across J&K. Additionally, he informed about the formation of referral committees and the J&K Research Consortium aimed at streamlining patient referrals and promoting coordinated research initiatives across healthcare institutions in the Union Territory.
The Chief Secretary reiterated that a collective resolve is needed to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure and ensuring accessible, affordable and quality healthcare services for all citizens of Jammu and Kashmir.