25 June : The Central government has sanctioned over hundred crore rupees for the construction of two maternity hospitals at Srinagar and Jammu.Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad announced this in Srinagar. He said the central government will provide half of the doctors and paramedical staff for 33 new district hospitals.
Seeking special Central assistance for Jammu and Kashmir’s health sector, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the remote and far-flung regions of the state deserve area-specific healthcare attention.Omar was jointly chairing a health sector review meeting with Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad at SKICC Srinagar.
Appreciating Azad for initiating several programmes to improve the healthcare facilities in the state, Omar sought his help in completing these projects to ensure cent percent healthcare coverage.
"In most of our far off hilly areas, populations are scattered and accessibility is most difficult. In a situation like this, there should be some shift in the general policy of providing grants to the state by the Union Government, the Chief Minister said.
Azad, on his part, assured full Central assistance to the state to transform the healthcare scenario of the state.He said the state government would get Rs 50 crore each for the development of 200-bed maternity hospitals at Srinagar and Jammu to cater to the needs of people.
Azad said this grant was assured by his predecessor as a special gesture towards Jammu and Kashmir.The Union Health Ministry would provide every assistance under National Rural Health Mission to the state to strengthen its healthcare sector, he said.