Jammu: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Wednesday handed over ex-gratia cheques of Rs 10 lakhs each to the NoKs of the deceased National Health Mission (NHM) employees.
The LG also expressed its deepest gratitude to the families and healthcare workers of NHM for their dedication and commitment to serving the people, an official press release informed.
Paying homage to the deceased employees of NHM, the LG said that financial aid cannot compensate for their selfless service and sacrifice; “however, it is our duty and responsibility to ensure their family members live a life of respect and dignity.”
“The spirit of selfless service, sacrifice, and compassion with which our health workers, doctors, para-medics have served the people during the Covid pandemic and vaccination drive is truly inspirational,” he observed.
Speaking on the reforms introduced to strengthen the healthcare system, the LG said, “under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-ji, J&K’s health sector has gone through a sea change ensuring high-quality affordable, accessible healthcare for all.”
“Continuous efforts are being made to remove the regional imbalance which existed earlier in the field of health care. J&K is performing better than the national average on several parameters. The health indicators exemplify our efforts to ensure well being of the common citizens,” he added.
“In our journey to achieve quality and accessible healthcare, we have taken special care to make our health services effective, people-centered and equitable,” observed the LG.
Improved health infrastructure, expansive network of health and wellness centres, substantial increase in MBBS seats, universal health coverage, ambulance services, mobile clinics, besides decentralization of medical facilities have ensured the expansion of health services in remote & far-flung areas, he added.
Several reforms were undertaken to implement the system of ‘Any Treatment, Anywhere, Anytime’. The ‘e-SAHAJ’ initiative entails online appointments from doctors, and digitization of patient’s medical records. As many as 575 health facilities are covered under this initiative, the LG said.
He said the J&K administration is spending Rs 2 crore every day on the treatment of common people and 97 percent of our population has an insurance cover.
“SEHAT Golden cards have been provided to 80 lakh citizens, with 28,000 hospitals extending treatment facilities to them across the country. Today, dialysis facilities have been made available in all districts. Geriatric and Pediatric wards have been established in all district hospitals,” he further added.
Bhupinder Kumar, Administrative Secretary, Health and Medical Education informed that J&K Contributory Corpus Funds was started by J&K government under the directions of the LG. The NHM employees are provided financial assistance on account of disability or death, he added.
A total of 34 families of deceased NHM employees were provided an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh each, it was informed.
Sanjeev Gadkar, Mission Director, NHM J&K assured every possible support of the department for the welfare of families of the deceased employees.
Senior officers and officials of NHM and family members of deceased employees were present on the occasion at Raj Bhawan.
