SRINAGAR: Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM), Jammu and Kashmir, Athar Aamir Shafi-ul-Khan, on Friday directed Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) to ensure baseline assessments of all public health institutions and achieve National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) certification for 100 per cent of targeted facilities by March 2027.
Chairing a review meeting at the State Health Society office in Old Secretariat here, the Mission Director stressed the need to improve healthcare infrastructure, bridge existing gaps and strengthen patient-centric services.
He asked CMOs to categorise health facilities based on assessment findings and prioritise resource allocation to address deficiencies. He assured them of technical and administrative support from the State Health Society to meet the prescribed quality standards.
In a separate meeting, Shafi-ul-Khan reviewed the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), focusing on population screening, differentiated TB care and TB Preventive Treatment (TPT).
He directed officials to ensure full utilisation of available diagnostic equipment, including TruNAAT and CBNAAT machines and handheld and fixed X-ray facilities, across all districts to improve detection and diagnosis of tuberculosis.
The meeting was also informed that Joint Squad for Health (JOSH) teams had been constituted across all 110 medical blocks of the Union Territory.
Comprising designated Class-I officers, National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets and MY Bharat volunteers, the teams are working with block medical officers to raise awareness about tuberculosis, address social stigma and encourage treatment adherence.
Directors of Health Services Jammu and Kashmir, State Tuberculosis Officers, CMOs, District Tuberculosis Officers, NHM programme managers and other senior officials participated in the meetings in person and through virtual mode.
