Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Kumar Choudhary and Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo jointly inaugurated the Blood Donation Camp for Thalassemia children and Full Body Profile Testing Facility at National Hospital, Karan Bagh here today.Addressing the gathering, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the health sector in Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed significant improvement over the past year and the Government remains committed to its further strengthening. He said that under the present Government, healthcare services have improved considerably, particularly after the Health Minister assumed charge, though sustained efforts are required to bridge remaining gaps.
The Government, he added, is pursuing pro-people policies in both the education and health sectors to ensure better services for citizens.
The Deputy Chief Minister noted improvements in hospital infrastructure, responsiveness and sanitation, and said the Government is focusing on addressing challenges such as filling vacant posts and strengthening healthcare facilities, especially in Jammu region.
He urged doctors from both government and private sectors to work collectively to make the healthcare system more robust. He said though the both Government and Private health sector has witnessed significant improvement in Kashmir, however, health sector in Jammu has a long way to go.He urged doctors to work with more dedication for better patient care.
“Need is to work collectively to ensure better Healthcare service delivery to the people,” he said.
He also appreciated the organizers of the blood donation camp and the hospital management, including Dr Jasveer Kour and Dr Harvinder Singh, for their initiative. He said that providing full body profile testing at nominal charges would greatly benefit the public.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Sakeena highlighted the critical role of voluntary blood donation in saving lives, particularly during medical emergencies, surgeries and for patients suffering from chronic illnesses. “Blood donation is very noble work and a simple yet powerful act of humanity. One unit of blood can save multiple lives”, she stated.
The Minister further said that blood donation is also very good for the health of donor. She also lauded the initiative taken by this hospital administration for organizing this camp and encouraged citizens to participate in this noble cause. The Minister also appreciated the hospital for launching full body profile tests at nominal rate, adding that such noble initiatives will benefit the common people in long run.
The Minister further highlighted that under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, the Government has upgraded the medical infrastructure facilities across length and breadth of Jammu and Kashmir in last 12 months. “Cath Labs MRI facilities, CT Scan lab and other advanced facilities are being established in GMCs and District Hospitals to provide advanced medical care services to people near their vicinities”, Minister Sakeena said.
She added that the Government is committed to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure and ensure that every advance medical facility is available to people in their nearby hospitals.
The Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister, on the occasion , also extended Gurupurab (Prakash Purab) greetings to the people, especially the Sikh community.
Director Health Services Jammu, Dr Abdul Hamid Zargar and other concerned officers were also present on the occasion.