Jammu: Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag has significantly expanded its cardiac care services over the past year, with the establishment of a Cath Lab and other specialised facilities improving access to treatment for patients in South Kashmir and parts of the Chenab Valley.
The Cath Lab, commissioned in April 2025 under the Omar Abdullah-led government, has enabled the hospital to provide a range of specialised cardiac procedures locally. These include coronary angiography, angioplasty, pacemaker implantation, electrophysiological studies and other advanced interventions.
According to officials, the Department of Cardiology has conducted more than 3,000 procedures in the nine months since the Cath Lab became operational. Of these, over 1,000 were major interventions, including primary angioplasties and pacemaker implantations.
Officials said the facility is currently performing an average of 10 to 15 procedures every day.
The department is headed by Dr Syed Maqbool and is supported by cardiologists Dr Shamim Iqbal, Dr Showkat Hussain Shah and Dr Shahood.
The facility is not only catering to patients from South Kashmir but is also receiving patients from several districts of the Jammu division, including Banihal, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri and Poonch.
Before the Cath Lab became functional, patients from South Kashmir, which has an estimated population of around 25 lakh, had to travel nearly 70 kilometres to Srinagar for specialised cardiac treatment. Officials said this often caused delays during emergencies and affected patient outcomes.
They said the new facility has reduced the need for referrals and made emergency treatment more accessible for patients in Anantnag and adjoining districts.
The hospital said the cardiology department recently achieved a door-to-balloon time of 15 to 20 minutes in eight primary angioplasty cases handled within a 12-hour period. Door-to-balloon time refers to the time taken between a patient reaching the hospital and the opening of a blocked artery during an emergency heart procedure.
Officials described this as an indication of the department’s preparedness and adherence to established clinical standards in emergency cardiac care.
In another development, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has granted accreditation for three DrNB super-specialty seats in cardiology to GMC Anantnag.
The accreditation was granted to the Department of Cardiology on February 17 this year.
Officials said GMC Anantnag has become the first among the newly established medical colleges in the country to receive such accreditation in cardiology.
The institution has also expanded its diagnostic facilities. Health and Medical Education Minister Sakeena Itoo recently inaugurated a 1.5 Tesla MRI facility at the associated hospital of GMC Anantnag.
The minister described the MRI unit as an important addition to the hospital and said it would strengthen both treatment and diagnostic services.
She said the facility would benefit patients across South Kashmir by allowing them to access advanced diagnostic services locally and reducing the need to travel to hospitals in Srinagar.
Apart from the Cath Lab and MRI facility, the hospital has also started advanced modular operation theatres and introduced a free diet facility for patients.
Officials said a Sarai is also being established within the premises of the associated hospital to provide accommodation and support to attendants accompanying patients during their stay.
The government said efforts are continuing to strengthen the institution further and that recruitment of medical and paramedical staff is being carried out regularly.
It also referred to a recent report published in a local newspaper regarding cardiac care facilities at GMC Anantnag and said the report presented an incomplete picture of the services available at the institution.
According to the government, the report did not take into account the addition of the Cath Lab, MRI facility, modular operation theatres and other improvements made over the past year.
Officials said the recent developments at GMC Anantnag reflect an attempt to address long-standing gaps in specialised healthcare services in South Kashmir and nearby areas.
