JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir government has confirmed that a long-proposed trauma hospital at Lawaypora, Srinagar, was never approved by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, despite being conceptualised in 2007-08 to address medical emergencies along the accident-prone stretch of the National Highway. Instead, the building constructed for the hospital is now functioning as a New Type Primary Health Centre (NTPHC), offering basic healthcare services.
The government, responding to a query in the Assembly, stated that while the trauma hospital was originally planned to strengthen emergency care in the region, the project was never formally sanctioned. Instead, a G+3 hospital building was constructed at Lawaypora under the Capex budget with an estimated cost of Rs 6.41 crore, of which Rs 5.41 crore was spent by 2014, completing the building structure. However, the facility was repurposed due to the lack of approval for the trauma hospital.
At present, the NTPHC at Lawaypora provides primary healthcare services, including vaccination, maternal health initiatives, minor injury treatment, and patient stabilisation before referrals to larger hospitals. Emergency and trauma cases from the area are being catered to by nearby tertiary healthcare institutions such as SKIMS Medical College Bemina, which has 100 dedicated emergency beds and is located 8 km away, and GMC Srinagar, situated 10 km from Lawaypora. The 108 ambulance service is also operational in the area to manage accident-related emergencies.
The government noted that establishing a full-fledged trauma hospital requires specialised personnel, including neurosurgeons, anaesthetists, and orthopaedic specialists, along with advanced medical infrastructure like modular operation theatres and high-end equipment, which cannot be made available at every location. Instead, the administration is focusing on optimising existing resources at tertiary hospitals nearby.
While the trauma hospital could not be realised, the government has indicated that the G+3 structure at Lawaypora could be further repurposed for residential accommodation for doctors, paramedics, and medical students or as a drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centre to address the growing challenge of substance abuse in the region.
