Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Wednesday said that creating stronger health systems geared to tackle the emerging diseases and conditions affecting people of J&K was the priority of the government.
Inaugurating the ‘J&K Health Conclave’ on Mental Health and Non-Communicable Diseases at SKICC in Srinagar, the LG underlined the importance of mental health for ensuring overall wellbeing of the population.
He also launched India’s first Mental Health Chatbot under Tele-Manas, an avenue that he hoped would become the lifeline for the people.
Sinha spoke about the various facets of patient care and the initiatives underway to improve the delivery of healthcare in all parts of J&K.
He delved on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) was the future of healthcare and how it could help tide over the issues of accessibility and affordability.
The LG talked about the Artificial Neural Network being the game changer for diagnosis of various health conditions.
Launching the Tele-Manas Chatbot, an AI-powered chatting app that would provide easy and round-the-clock mental health support to every person in J&K, he said, “The chatbot is a proof that if the right tools are provided to our healthcare professionals, they will have the right solutions to address the problems of patients.” The initiative would ensure round the clock services of health counsellors, clinical psychologists and consultants.
Sinha said that the role of the healthcare systems was to ensure the emotional wellbeing of the patients, along with their physical wellbeing.
“Heritage and history teach us that the mind is the source of a number of diseases and a healthy mind is therefore a step towards prevention of diseases,” he said. Speaking about the issue of substance abuse, the LG said that adequate emotional help needed to be provided to the families of the victims so that they could be helped out of the problems they were in.
He spoke about the progress that had been made in addressing the growing burden of non-communicable diseases.
“The Health Department needs to ensure that all the equipment that has been procured for strengthening healthcare is functional,” Sinha said.
He stressed the need to make quality healthcare accessible to everyone in J&K, irrespective of their financial condition and mentioned the health cover of Rs 5 lakh provided by the J&K government to its citizens.
During his address, the LG praised the Health Department for bringing together medical experts on a common platform to discuss critical health issues and raise awareness about mental health and life-threatening non-communicable diseases.
He emphasised the importance of patient-centered care and the department’s commitment to ensuring that Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and District Hospitals offer quality care with a focus on both the physical and emotional wellbeing of the patients.
Sinha lauded the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of the J&K Health Department with Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre that aims to enhance cancer care services in J&K by offering technical support and establishing Preventive Oncology Service, Day Care Centers, and Palliative Care Service at the District Hospitals.
Additionally, the MoU with NIMHANS Bengaluru would contribute to improving mental health services, as well as training and capacity building for Medical Officers and nursing staff.
The LG discussed the substantial progress made in developing a comprehensive healthcare ecosystem in J&K over recent years.
Calling for structural changes in the healthcare sector, he urged the medical fraternity and stakeholders to work together in establishing progressive rules and laws to modernise healthcare practices.
Sinha also advised the Health Department to actively engage the community in awareness campaigns for the National Mental Health Programme, ensuring that its benefits reach those in need.
To bolster medical infrastructure, he inaugurated 44 healthcare facilities valued at Rs 56.18 crore.
Additionally, he introduced several initiatives, including T3 – Test, Treat and Talk Anemia Camps, the Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Programme, and the Scan and Share service for OPD registration, aiming to strengthen the resilience of the health system.
Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) were recognised with Volunteer Engagement certificates during the event.
In line with the efforts to enhance community extension of health services, it was announced that the National Health Mission, J&K, plans to recruit 380 additional ASHAs and 31 ASHA Facilitators approved by the Government of India. Furthermore, 334 tribal ASHAs have been sanctioned for various districts of J&K, aiming to address the healthcare needs of the tribal population and improve their health indicators.
Advisor to LG Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar; Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta; Secretary Health and Medical Education Bhupinder Kumar; WHO representative to India Dr Roderico H. Ofrin; Director NIMHANS Dr Pratima Murthy; Director Tata Memorial Centre Dr R A Badwe; Director Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre Dr Ashish Gulia; Director SKIMS Prof Parvaiz Ahmad Koul; Principal GMC Srinagar Prof Masood Tanvir along with Principals of GMCs, department heads, and medical experts were also present on the occasion.