Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Jammu & Kashmir Bank Ltd and Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), aimed at expanding healthcare access and strengthening institutional financial services across Jammu and Kashmir.
The MoU was signed by Director SKIMS Prof. Mohammad Ashraf Ganie on behalf of SKIMS and J&K Bank MD & CEO Amitava Chatterjee on behalf of J&K Bank Ltd.
Minister for Health & Medical Education Sakina Itoo, Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani among others, were present on the occasion.
The agreement brings together the J&K’s premier tertiary-care institution and its leading financial institution to facilitate patient services, employee welfare, financial inclusion and support for healthcare infrastructure.
A key feature of the MoU is the integration of SKIMS’ OPD ticketing and appointment booking system with the Banking Correspondent (BC) network of J&K Bank on a six-month pilot basis. The initiative will enable patients in far-flung and rural areas to obtain SKIMS OPD tickets and appointments locally, reducing the need for them to travel to Srinagar solely for the purpose of booking appointments.
Under the agreement, SKIMS has nominated J&K Bank as a banking partner and extended customized benefits to its regular employees, including zero-balance salary accounts, waiver of specified banking charges, concessional loan rates, auto-sweep facilities among other facilities.
The MoU also provides for dedicated counters at SKIMS for J&K Bank employees, while SKIMS will depute a physician to the Bank’s headquarters once every month to facilitate medical consultations for its staff.
The partnership also envisages greater institutional support for patients and healthcare infrastructure. J&K Bank will prioritize CSR assistance for SKIMS hospital infrastructure and integrate the SKIMS Endowment Fund for poor patients with its Mpay Delight+ mobile application, enabling members of the public to contribute directly towards patient support.
As part of the agreement, J&K Bank will also conduct fully funded digital financial literacy camps for SKIMS personnel and organize quarterly sessions on wealth management.
