Dr PP Singh
There is a continuous row over the demand for AIIMS at Jammu. All political parties even BJP except NC are in favour of AIIMS at Jammu. Since Jammu and Kashmir are two big provinces and population of both the provinces is large and medical institute like AIIMS is need of the hour in Kashmir as well as in Jammu. GoI has already sanctioned one AIIMS for Kashmir and hence one AIIMS is also needed for Jammu to cater for the rising demand for health coverage. Every year there are out breaks of certain dreadful diseases in the State which claimed lives in the past and there is no immediate remedies. With the State having no facilities to control such diseases patient has to run from pillar to post for advanced testing outside the State. There is no doubt that state of J and K has progressed by leap and bounds in many sectors but very less attention was paid towards health sector which is very important because it is well said “health is wealth”. Therefore health sector needs special attention. The disease like swine flu, bird flu, AIDS/HIV disease and some of the bacterial and viral diseases which cause heavy casualty if not taken proper preventive as well as curative steps then huge human losses can be notices in the public beside psychic fear.
No doubt there is Super Specialisty Hospital in Jammu but it has a very limited sphere to cover all the districts of Jammu province. The Medical College and Hospital Bakshi Nagar too is not able to cope up with the large influx of patients being referred to this place from different districts as there are very less facilities available for emergency cases such as heart ailments, renal failure, snake bite, duodenal ulcer, peptic ulcer, brain surgery and even to the extent of conducting cesarian, umbilical hernia, compound bone fractures etc. These cases are almost referred to Bakshi Nagar and SMGS Hospital. Moreover these hospitals are over burdened with patients with already big shortage of subject matter specialists. There is also huge shortage of experienced doctors and apart from this super specialists like brain and spine, joint replacement surgeon, Neuro physician, Neuro surgeon, plastic surgeon, cosmetic surgeon liver transplant surgeon, kidney transplantation surgeon and oncologists. State of J and K has number of specialists and super specialists but because of meager salaries and lack of facilities these doctors are serving outside the State as well as in foreign countries. It would be in the fitness of things if salary component of doctors and facilities to the doctors are provided adequately then and only then we can hope to have institute like AIIMS at Jammu. Ladakh is no way lagging behind but since the over all population is comparatively less and hence also needs a well equipped hospital with super specialists in rotation so that there could be balanced health care coverage of all the three regions of the State. State doctors are also presently working in various private hospitals which are of great repute like Medicity Mehdanta (Gurgoan) Escort Hospital, Max Hospital, Fortis Hospital and Shri Ganga Ram Hospital New Delhi, DMC Ludhiana, CMC, PGI Chandigarh etc. They are in these hospitals because doctors are being provided all facilities beside very handsome salaries. The issue of opening AIIMS at Jammu should not be politically motivated rather it is the need of hour to have one AIIMS for Jammu. Both the regions must have AIIMS so that health coverage is given to the needy and people may not have to run outside the State. This will be a step forward in developing the health infrastructure in the State. The Govt. has made several promises with the people of the State. During electionering and election campaign that the State shall be provided different projects like AIIMs, IITs and besides other projects and industrial units. These projects shall boost up the socio economic status of the people of the State and rising above political affiliations all are struggling hard for AIIMS at Jammu Govt. of India being always kind to the State should consider this demand at the earliest. Recently J and K BJP legislators met the Finance Minister Arun Jatley, Dr Jatinder Singh MoS PM Office was also there. Arun Jatley was apprised about the latest state of affairs prevailing in the State regarding sanctioning of AIIMS for Jammu. The entire BJP leadership is interested to have one AIIMS at Jammu also. We very oftenly come across captions in the newspaper that such and such patient male / female have died due to negligence of doctors. This is rarest of the rare case where patient died due to doctor’s negligence. Doctors on duty never adopt negative attitude towards patients but some times become reluctant to handle serious cases because of lack of equipments and life saving machineries which is not available in the emergency ward and people often allege doctors for such deaths. People must realise that to save life of a patient is a great achievement for a doctor. The short coming in the hospital can only be removed by establishing of AIIMS at Jammu. This will pave way for meeting such emergencies and many lives shall be saved. It is just like if you ask a soldier to fight in the war with enemy without riffle and ammunition. Same is the case with a doctor, if doctor is well equipped he can deliver in much better way and people must always encourage the medical fraternity instead of demoralising them by tarnishing their image by one way or the other. Govt of India must honour the legitimate demand of Jammuites for AIIMS. People of the State have lot of expectations and hopes from the Centre.
