SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday conducted surprise inspections of two premier hospitals here to take stock of their functioning and passed instructions on the spot to improve facilities and patient care.
He visited the Bone and Joint Hospital in Barzulla and the 500-bedded Children’s Hospital in Bemina to gain a first-hand knowledge of the facilities and services being provided to patients and their attendants, officials said.
Abdullah was accompanied by Health Minister Sakina Itoo.
During his inspection at the Bone and Joint Hospital, Abdullah toured various sections and wards and interacted with patients and attendants to understand their concerns.
The chief minister engaged with hospital staff to assess the winter arrangements, treatment facilities and the availability of medical professionals and paramedics, the officials said.
Abdullah also inspected the state-of-the-art additional block of the hospital, constructed under the Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project (JTFRP) with funding from the World Bank.
Designed with earthquake-resilient technology, the block will add 160 beds, increasing the hospital’s total capacity from 150 to 310 beds.
During his visit, the CM emphasised the need to expedite the completion of the new block, which is critical for addressing the space crunch caused by a fire incident in 2022 that reduced the hospital’s original capacity of 200 beds.
He directed the executing agencies to ensure its swift operationalisation by January 2025 to enhance patient care and to dedicate the facility to public service.
The Chief Minister also inspected the 500-bedded Children’s Hospital in Bemina, where he interacted with patients, attendants, and hospital staff.
During his visit, attendants from far-flung areas raised concerns about the lack of a Sarai (inn) for their stay.
Abdullah immediately directed the concerned authorities to construct a Sarai to accommodate attendants and alleviate their difficulties.
The hospital staff highlighted the challenges of expanding super-specialty facilities due to express space constraints.
The Chief Minister assured them that the issue would be addressed on priority, the officials said.
He also promised to resolve the shortage of medical staff, including doctors and paramedics, not only at this hospital but across healthcare facilities in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Chief Minister instructed hospital authorities to ensure the timely availability of medicines and other essential facilities for patients.
During the inspections, the Chief Minister reiterated his government’s commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure ensuring better facilities for the public and addressing manpower shortages in health institutions across Jammu and Kashmir.
Later, Abdullah also took to social media platform X and said instructions for improvement of healthcare facilities and patient care were passed to the concerned on the spot.
“Accompanied by Minister for Health and Medical Education Sakina Itoo I made surprise visits to the Bone and Joint hospital and Children’s Hospital in Srinagar to take stock of the functioning of the hospitals. Certain instructions were passed on the spot to improve conditions and patient care,” Abdullah said in a post on X. (PTI)