JAMMU: Minister for Health and Medical Education Sakeena Itoo on Tuesday said that strengthening the existing medical infrastructure remains the government’s top priority, and the creation of additional medical blocks will be considered only after assessing requirement, feasibility, and availability of manpower and infrastructure.
The Minister made the statement while replying to a question raised by legislator Sheikh Ahsan Ahmad regarding medical blocks during the ongoing Budget Session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
Informing the House about the health administrative setup in Srinagar district, Itoo said that the district, with a population of over 15 lakh, currently has one Medical Block and four Medical Zones, all functioning under the administrative control of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Srinagar.
She said that administrative, supervisory and field-level implementation of health programmes in Srinagar is being carried out smoothly with the existing manpower and infrastructure, and no major impediments have been reported in the delivery of healthcare services under the present setup.
The Health Minister further informed that district Srinagar is administratively covered by four Medical Zones and one Medical Block, collectively catering to the eight Assembly constituencies of the district.
She added that the healthcare delivery system in Srinagar is further strengthened by the presence of major tertiary and secondary healthcare institutions, including Government Medical College Srinagar, Gousia Hospital, SKIMS Soura, SMHS Hospital, JLNM Hospital and SKIMS Bemina, which significantly enhance patient care and help manage patient load across the district.
