CS assesses NHM progress to elevate health indicators across J&K

Srinagar, July 11: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a high-level meeting to comprehensively review the progress and achievements made under the National Health Mission (NHM) across the UT.In a statement issued here, the meeting was attended by Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department; Mission Director, NHM; Principals of Government Medical Colleges; Director Health Services, Kashmir/Jammu; Managing Director, JKMSCL and other concerned officers.While underlining the importance of uninterrupted drug availability in all health institutions, the Chief Secretary directed for submission of the consolidated weekly reports on the status of essential medicines from every district.He instructed that Deputy Commissioners, Directors of Health Services and the Planning Section in his office be given real-time access to this data, enabling prompt interventions wherever shortages are noticed.Reviewing the Biomedical Equipment Management and Maintenance Programme (BEMMP), the Chief Secretary asked the concerned departments to complete the Equipment Profile exercise by August, as already directed. He underscored that maintaining functional equipment is central towards improving the patient outcomes and minimizing the service disruptions.Dulloo expressed concern over the vacancies in DNB (Diplomate of National Board) seats across major hospitals of the UT. He directed for taking measures to fill these seats, including offering the opportunities to in-service Medical Officers, where external candidates are unavailable.The Chief Secretary laid special focus on the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) while directing the Health Department to cover every school and Anganwadi centre across J&K. He stressed the need to screen children for key health indicators, including anaemia and other common disorders enabling targeted medical interventions at an early stage.In line with the government’s commitment to equitable health access, Dulloo reiterated that no Primary Health Centre or Sub-Centre especially in remote and hilly areas should be left without doctors or requisite paramedical staff. He emphasized the need to fill vacant positions and deploy staff strategically to serve the underserved populations.Taking stock of the critical care infrastructure being developed under PM-ABHIM, the Chief Secretary reviewed the status and timelines of various projects in the districts. He called for expedited completion of all ongoing works, urging the officials to meet deadlines without compromising on quality.During the meeting, the functioning of key NHM programmes such as e-Sanjeevani (Tele-Consultation), Tele-MANAS (Mental Health Counselling), Tele-ICUs and free ambulance services was also reviewed.The Chief Secretary expressed satisfaction over the reach of these initiatives but stressed on wider public awareness and operational efficiency to ensure they benefit every needy citizen.The Chief Secretary also reviewed the TB Elimination and Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) prevention programmes being run under NHM, urging intensified screenings, follow-ups and outreach campaigns especially in high-risk populations.Secretary, H&ME, Dr Syed Abid Rashid Shah, informed the meeting that unlike past the NHM, J&K, received five instalments totalling Rs 806.93 crore of central share and Rs 195.08 Cr for infrastructure maintenance in 2024-25 against a resource envelope of Rs 601.54 crore and Rs150.20 crore respectively.He added that J&K has achieved 99% institutional deliveries in 2024-25 and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has significantly dropped from 16 to 14 as per SRS 2022 Bulletin, which is better than the national average of 26 per 1000 live births. As per HMIS data 2024-25, IMR has been recorded as 9.35 per 1000 live births, he reiterated.While giving the account of achievements,  MD NHM Baseer-Ul-Haq Chaudhary informed that 86% of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) are operational in J&K. Additionally, he informed the meeting that the number of free drugs had been increased from 23 to 96 at SHC-AAMs and from 71 to 175 at PHC-AAMs during FY 2024-25. Free diagnostic services have also been expanded resulting in 242.75 lakh OPD evaluations at these health facilities from 2023 till date.