SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government is strengthening trauma, emergency and critical-care services in remote and hilly areas through new infrastructure, expanded ambulance services and specialist outreach programmes, Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo informed the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
Replying to a question raised by MLA Sunil Kumar Sharma, the minister said 17 Critical Care Blocks are being established across the Union Territory under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), including 15 blocks with 50 beds each and two with 100 beds each.
She said the facilities are intended to augment critical-care capacity and decentralise specialised healthcare services, reducing the need for patients from far-flung areas to travel long distances for treatment.
Itoo said the government is progressively enhancing emergency, trauma and critical-care services in remote regions by strengthening infrastructure, ambulance networks, medical evacuation facilities, human resources and telemedicine support.
The minister informed the House that 44 Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances—22 each for Jammu and Kashmir divisions—have been added to the 102/108 ambulance fleet, taking the total number of ambulances under the service to 530.
She said another 100 ambulances are being inducted, including 75 critical-care ambulances and 25 four-wheel-drive all-terrain ambulances, to improve emergency response and patient evacuation in mountainous and difficult-to-access areas.
The government is also undertaking need-based augmentation of manpower and emergency-care infrastructure in health institutions based on patient load, accessibility and identified service gaps, she said.
Highlighting the use of technology, Itoo said telemedicine and specialist outreach services are being utilised to provide specialist consultations and clinical support in remote areas.
She informed the House that memoranda of understanding have been signed between Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) in Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur and Rajouri and district hospitals in Reasi, Samba, Ramban and Poonch for specialist outreach camps and teleconsultation services.
A draft MoU between GMC Doda and District Hospital Kishtwar has also been prepared and is expected to be finalised shortly, she added.
Referring to healthcare facilities in the Padder-Nagseni constituency, the minister said the First Referral Unit at Sub-District Hospital Atholi provides referral services to District Hospital Kishtwar and other higher institutions depending on patients’ clinical requirements.
She said critically ill and injured patients are transported through 102/108 ambulance services available in the area, while air evacuation is also arranged in cases requiring specialised treatment, wherever feasible.
