SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has said it is strengthening emergency, trauma and critical-care services in remote and difficult areas through additional infrastructure, ambulances, manpower, medical evacuation and telemedicine support.
The government disclosed this in a written reply to a starred question raised by MLA Sunil Kumar Sharma regarding health facilities in remote areas, with specific reference to the Padder-Nagseni constituency, during the ongoing Legislative Assembly session.
It said 17 Critical Care Blocks are being established across Jammu and Kashmir under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM). Of these, 15 will have a capacity of 50 beds each, while two will have 100 beds each.
According to the government, the new facilities are intended to expand critical-care capacity and decentralise such services, reducing the need for patients from remote areas to travel long distances for treatment.
Emergency response and patient transportation have also been expanded with the addition of 44 Advanced Life Support ambulances, with 22 allocated to each division. This has taken the total fleet under the 102/108 ambulance services to 530 vehicles.
The government said another 100 ambulances are being added to the fleet, comprising 75 critical-care ambulances and 25 4×4 all-terrain ambulances.
It said the ambulance network is aimed at providing timely emergency response, stabilisation and transportation of patients, particularly those living in remote, hilly and difficult-to-access areas.
The Health and Medical Education Department is also undertaking need-based augmentation of manpower and emergency-care infrastructure in health institutions based on patient load, geographical accessibility, institutional requirements and identified gaps in services.
On specialist outreach and telemedicine, the government said memoranda of understanding have been signed between the principals of Government Medical Colleges Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur and Rajouri and medical superintendents of district hospitals in Reasi, Samba, Ramban and Poonch respectively for specialist outreach camps and tele-consultation services.
A draft MoU between Government Medical College Doda and District Hospital Kishtwar has also been prepared and is expected to be finalised soon.
Regarding Padder-Nagseni, the government said the First Referral Unit at Sub-District Hospital Atholi, Paddar, provides referral services to District Hospital Kishtwar and higher-level institutions according to clinical requirements.
Timely referral and evacuation of critically ill and injured patients from the area are facilitated through 102/108 ambulance services available at SDH Atholi and in the Padder-Nagseni area.
The government further said patients requiring specialised treatment from remote and inaccessible areas are evacuated or airlifted to higher health institutions wherever necessary and feasible.
It said telemedicine and outreach services are also being used, wherever feasible, to provide specialist consultation and support to patients in remote areas.
The government also provided district- and category-wise details of sanctioned and in-position doctors, specialists, nurses and other paramedical staff in health institutions in remote and hilly areas of the Jammu division, including Padder-Nagseni, along with infrastructure and diagnostic facilities in Kishtwar district and the constituency. These details were placed in Annexures A and B to the reply.
