Baramulla: Union Minister for Health, Mansukh Mandaviya Saturday reiterated the commitment of the Centre of providing better healthcare to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, announced slew of projects in the healthcare system which include upgradation of the existing healthcare system and various other initiatives to ensure people of J&K have access to better healthcare facilities.
The Union Minister for Health was on a visit to Baramulla district as part of the Centre’s public outreach programme in different parts of Kashmir to get feedback from the people and to know their developmental aspirations.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is keen to provide efficient and effective healthcare facilities to the people of J&K. The upgradation of the existing healthcare system is part of the commitment of the prime minister with the people of J&K,” Mandaviya said.
He said that the aim of the Centre under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to provide efficient and quality healthcare to the people with special focus on the economically weaker and downtrodden sections of the society.
“The establishment of the Government Medical Colleges and AIIMS in J&K is an endeavour to give a major flip to the existing healthcare system,” he said.
While highlighting the various schemes initiated by the Centre to ensure common people were not barred from quality healthcare, the union minister said that over 2 crore people, during the last three years had benefited from the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
“The initiation of health insurance was a revolutionary step taken in the health sector and budgetary allocation in the health sector is being enhanced significantly every year based on the aspirations of the people,” Mandaviya said.
Mandaviya later visited the Government Medical College Baramulla and took part in the photo exhibition depicting developmental journeys of new GMCs and AIIMS besides inauguration of a 50-bedded portable healthcare unit at Baramulla.
On the occasion, Principal GMC Baramulla Rubi Reshi appraised the union minister of the achievements of the Government Medical College Baramulla and about the various initiatives that needed to be taken to make GMC Baramulla more effective in patient care.
Mandaviya later chaired an interactive meeting with the DDC members, BDC chairpersons, Municipal Council Presidents and PRIs and listened to their developmental aspirations and concerns.
After hearing the delegations, the union minister expressed his happiness and informed the visiting delegates as well as the government functionaries that the Centre had a dream for development of J&K.
He said that the present outreach programme had been initiated by the government to know the various issues confronting the common masses.
On the occasion, the union minister assured that the demands and grievances projected by the delegations had been taken note of and would be put up with the authorities for their timely redress.
The union minister also congratulated the PRIs for successful establishment of a de-centralised system and said that the present dispensation was working to strengthen the PRI mechanism with more financial autonomy.
He also urged them to identify their role and cooperate in taking the spectrum of development to the apex.
The union minister also enlisted various interventions that had been taken to provide financial support to the farmers so that they became capable enough to purchase farming inputs properly.
He urged them to adopt organic and sustainable farming which had new avenues and opportunities.