Mr. Bali Bhagat Minister for Health & Medical Education, J&K

Bali Bhagat since taking over as minister of health and medical education has affected vast improvements in department and has laid emphasis on providing healthcare and medicines to remote areas and underprivileged sections of the society. Besides launchi

HT. Kindly spell out various schemes in the health sector implemented during state last year.

Minister: 6 Crore released for strengthening food testing laboratories at Jammu/Srinagar and Rs 1.75 Crore for procurement of five mobile food testing vans.

Two food safety appellate tribunals one each in Kashmir and Jammu, established to stop food adulteration and to fast track the process of litigation.

To ensure rationale prescription by doctors, directions have been issued to ensure that prescriptions are written in Capital, Bold Letters and with the name and signature of the doctor at the bottom of the prescription.

Eight new special newborn care units (SNCUs) have been established at the level of district hospitals and CHCs to provide specialized newborn care.

23 critical care ambulances procured and placed at disposal of Director Health Services Jammu/ Kashmir.

HT: Steps taken to ensure proper implementation of centrally sponsored schemes and so the targeted section reap their benefits.

Minister: In last financial year an amount of Rs 22.50 crore have been utilized and more than one lakh patients have been benefited under 11 centrally sponsored schemes

HT: What are status of both AIIMS in Jammu and in Valley and also the status of five medical colleges?

Minister: Land for AIIMS at Kashmir at Awantipora and at Jammu at Vijaypur has been finalized and taken over by the health and medical education department. CPWD engaged as executing agency by GoI and work on these projects is being started shortly.

Three medical Colleges at Anantnag, Baramulla and Rajouri have been taken up for construction. Regarding, Medical College Doda and Kathua the required quantum of land has been transferred in

favour of HME department and work is being initiated shortly.

HT. Measures to improve infant mortality rate in the state.

Minister: Infant Mortality Rate of state has been reduced by strategic and scientific implementations of the various initiatives including, establishment of

24 Special Newborn Care Units (SNCU) at district hospitals and selected CHCs. Setting up 76 of Newborn Stabilization Units (NBSUs) at First Referral Units (FRUs)/CHCs and strengthening of 281 Newborn Care Corners (NBCCs) at delivery points.

HT: In what time frame the free drug Policy will be fully implemented in the state.

Minister: Free Drug Policy has been implemented in the state during 2016-17 with a view to reduce the out of pocket expenditure for the patients visiting peripheral government health institutions.

Under the policy, the government is providing essentials medicines to the patients free of cost in district hospitals, sub district hospitals, primary health centres and sub centres.

The department is in the process to implement the free drug policy fully in all the government hospitals of the state during the current financial year 2017-18.

HT: Steps taken to improve health infrastructure(buildings housing PHC, CHC and dispensaries) and steps to check shortage of manpower including doctors, paramedics and nursing orderlies especially in the far flung areas of the state.

Minister: To improve building infrastructure of tertiary and secondary health care institutions, GoI has allocated Rs 900 Crore for creation of infrastructure in district hospitals, CHCs and PHCs under Prime Minister Development Package (PMDP).

Accordingly, against departmental proposal of Rs 900 crore, union health and family welfare ministry has approved 113 projects worth Rs 632.67 crore and also released Rs 275 crore during the year 2016-17.

To overcome the shortage of manpower, 97 medical officers appointed during 2016-17, 35 Medical Officers (ISM) appointed during the same period and have in order to supplement the availability of manpower in various levels of health facilities in the State, additional 1483 Specialists/ Doctors/ AYUSH and 5531 paramedics manpower has been hired on contractual basis under National Health Mission in the J&K State.