Srinagar, Aug 30: The Paediatric Surgery Department of GMC Srinagar has been finally relocated to Children Hospital Bemina where the paediatric surgeries commenced on Friday, health officials said.
In this regard the Administrative Secretary, H&ME Department, Dr Syed Abid Rasheed Shah visited the hospital and interacted with the teams of doctors.
While congratulating the doctors, the Secretary stated that this is a significant achievement and urged them to continue their efforts to transform the largest paediatric hospital into a leading facility in the valley, with a reputation that extends across the country.
Prof. (Dr.) Iffat Hassan, Principal Government Medical College Srinagar and Mohammad Ashraf Hakak, Administrator Government Medical College, Srinagar besides other concerned stakeholders, doctors and officials were present.
The paediatric surgery department of GMC Srinagar started its operations after its shifting from Super Speciality Hospital Shireen Bagh. A senior official said that the first five cases were listed today and were conducted successfully.
“The surgeries have started at the hospital as the government is planning to make it an apex hospital where all paediatric subspecialties will also be made functional in future,” he said.
As per officials government is planning to make this hospital as an apex hospital in paediatric care where besides general paediatrics there will be other sixteen specialities which will be also made functional in the same hospital and services will be provided under one roof.
“Referrals to SKIMS Soura would be automatically reduced. It will help people to avail better tertiary care facilities and small neonates requiring surgical interventions would get operated at the facility,” the official said.
As per doctors as the Paediatric Surgery Department is shifted to Children Hospital as desired by administration, they will be able to expand and improve the services making the department the largest paediatric surgery facility in Jammu and Kashmir.
He also said the Children Hospital Bemina has the facility to conduct neonatal surgeries which were not being done regularly at Super Speciality Hospital, Shireen Bagh.
Officials at the hospitals said the Children Hospital has made functional a state-of-the-art theatre facility which is the first such infrastructure facility in the entire Jammu and Kashmir.
Interestingly, doctors say the paediatric surgery department is becoming a mark of attraction for paediatric surgeons outside Jammu and Kashmir. Growing a centre of excellence in some important areas of the specialty, the department is scaling a new high.
Notably, the department has been performing around 750 major operations every year for the past three years. The paediatric surgical procedures performed by paediatric surgeons posted in General Surgery, would amount to more than a thousand in GMC Srinagar.
The department conducted its first observership program in January this year and five paediatric surgeons have already registered for the next observership program for June this year.
In September 2022, the health authorities had shifted the paediatric services of GB Pant Hospital to the newly-constructed 500-bedded Children Hospital to further improve paediatric services.
