SKIMS celebrates 29th Foundation Day

Paying glorious tributes to the founder of Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, on its 29th Foundation Day, the Minister for Medical and Technical Education, R.S Chib said that prestigious Institute is a great gift of the late towering personality, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

He said establishing this institute was a great vision of the late personality for providing latest health facilities to the people and was realized as per aspiration of the people. Mr. Chib said till date lakhs of people have been benefited particularly poor and downtrodden and despite two decades turmoil, the Institute with its efforts provided all the necessary medical facilities to the common people, even during the last year's unrest period.

Earlier, the Minister for Forests, Environment and Ecology, Mian Altaf Ahmed while paying rich tributes to the founder of the SKIMS, hailed the efforts of the fraternity of this Institution for proving their mettle for curing the patients at their best level.

He said the Institution has distinction of producing number of specialists, surgeons, medical and paramedical staff. He said the products of this Institution not only served the people of the State but also received laurels at national and International level.

Lauding the role played by the medical fraternity in ameliorating the sufferings of the people of the State and providing best quality medicare, he said there is scope of improvement at this front.

However, he said , the common people ,particularly those who are not economically strong to go out side the State for necessary treatment have a great expectations from this Institution and added the Government is also making every effort to equip the Institution with latest medical tools and infrastructural facilities.

Later, Professor Upender Koul, Dean Fortis Escorts, Delhi delivered SK oration lecture and talked about interventional cardiology of eluting vanishing stents, a journey of five decades.

Earlier, the Director SKIMS Dr Showket Ahmed Zargar highlighted the achievements of the Institution.

He said that SKIMS University is also imparting short term/elective training courses to the students of Jammu and Kashmir pursuing medical/engineering/physiotherapy/technology courses in the Institutions/universities within or outside the State.

Emergency hospital at Katra

N. N. Vohra, Governor, inaugurated a newly constructed 30-bedded Emergency Hospital at Katra, the Base Camp of the Holy Shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Deviji today.This double-storey Hospital, with a plinth area of about 25,000 square feet, has been completed in 20 months by the Jammu and Kashmir Police Housing Corporation, at a cost of Rs. 5.80 crore. The Hospital is equipped with modern diagnostic and treatment facilities. Speaking on the occasion, the Governor congratulated Sham Lal Sharma, Minister for Health, the State Health Department and the Police Housing Corporation for completion of this Hospital within good time. He emphasized the need for the quality of emergency healthcare facilities being maintained at Katra, particularly keeping in view the emerging needs of the people of the area and the progressively increasing number of Yatris. He added that this newly constructed Emergency Hospital would need to particularly provide medical attention in the areas of Cardiology, Orthopaedics and Surgery to see that there is a progressive decline in the number of patients who are referred to the Government Medical College, Jammu.

The Governor said that with the arrival of train services at Katra in the coming months the number of Yatris directly reaching here will go up considerably and, therefore, there is a need to plan, without any further delay, all vital facilities like wide internal roads, water and power supplies, sanitation, traffic management, etc. to particularly meet the further needs.

Referring to the various development schemes taken up by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, the Governor, who is the Chairman of the Shrine Board, observed that the upcoming Material Ropeway Project between Siar Dabri to Bhawan and Passenger Ropeway from Bhawan to Bhairo Ghati are aimed to meet the future requirement of the fast increasing pilgrimage. He added that these two projects are estimated to cost about Rs. 65 crore. He added that Board has also undertaken several other major development projects, for the benefit of the Yatris.The Governor was honoured on the occasion by presenting a memento to him by Sham Lal Sharma, Health Minister. The Governor went around the various sections of the Hospital Complex and enquired about the diagnostic and treatment facilities made available for the patients.Sham Lal Sharma, Minister for Health, thanked the Governor for taking keen interest in the development of the State, particularly in promotion of healthcare services across the State. He dwelt on various measures which have been taken by the Government to provide best possible medicare to the people in the State. He lauded the State Police Housing Corporation for constructing the hospital building in the shortest possible time frame.

Baldev Raj Sharma, MLA, Reasi, thanked the Governor and the Shrine Board for taking varied initiatives that have led to increase in the pilgrimage,which is expected to cross one crore this year. He referred to several development-related demands of the area. Dr. Madhu Khullar, Director Health Services, Jammu, in her welcome address dwelt on the facilities to be provided at this newly constructed Emergency Hospital. Dr. Adarsh Kumar, Chief Medical Officer, Reasi, presented a Vote of Thanks.R. K. Goyal, Principal Secretary to the Governor  and Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Commissioner/Secretary, Health, G. A. Peer, Dr. Mandeep K. Bhandari, Additional CEO of the Shrine Board, Jagjit Kumar, DIG Udhampur, P. K. Pole, Deputy Commissioner,Reasi, Keshav Chaurasia, SSP Reasi, M. A. Shah, Managing Director, Police Housing Corporation, Heads of Departments and prominent citizens were present on the occasion.