The health care in the UT of J&K has marked remarkable progress over the years. The expansion of primary and secondary healthcare facilities has given a boost to the healthcare structure in J&K. The establishment of Medical Colleges in major districts across UT, J&K have a positive impact both quantitatively and qualitatively. This effort to uplift healthcare system in J&K augurs well and the proliferation is in right direction. To strengthen primary and secondary healthcare under the mission “health for All” and the priorities set at multiple levels to reduce the referral load at the tertiary care hospitals is a substantial move, well strategized and a comprehensive model that is yielding positive results making healthcare facilities accessible to the lowest strata of population.
The core objective of improved healthcare is to give quality healthcare services to the people living in the remotest hilly areas and difficult terrains. This accessibility to quality care to the poor people deserves applause. However, this bottom up approach needs comprehensive analysis with emphasis on assemblage of tertiary care services. The tertiary care also witnessed a some improvement but we need to go a step further to focus more at tertiary care considering its bigger role in patient care, academics and research.
At tertiary care the role of SKIMS is well established. It is playing a significant role to provide the world class services to the people of J&K and catering huge population. The people of J&K have been the beneficiary of excellent services at multiple levels delivered by this Institution. This Institution kept spirits high in challenging times as well as with changing times. The volume of work done by SKIMS is comparable to any best Healthcare Centre of the country. The rare procedures done by various specialties are remarkable. You name it, SKIMS has it.
Be it any rare Cardiac procedures, Kidney transplants, Critical care, Complex Procedures in Plastic Surgery, Neurosurgery , Nephrology, Surgical Oncology & Surgical Gastroenterology , Pulmonology which has benefitted poor people and given new lease of life to the suffering patients. Microvascular Toe to Hand Transplant Surgery, Cross Swap Kidney Transplant, Airway Stenting, Autologous Bone Marrow Transplant and Complex Cardiac Surgeries , Neurosurgeries, Whipple’s Procedure are performed and is recorded in huge numbers. These complex procedures conducted successfully at SKIMS stands widely covered by media which stand witness to the fact the expertise this Institution is nurturing and creating better avenues in the field of Medical sciences.
The cancer treatment at SKIMS is another vast area which is catering to the huge population with innovative treatment modalities. The departments of Medical Oncology, Cl. Haematology, Radiotheapy, Paedetric Oncology are on fore front to cater the huge burden of the disease despite many challenges. Other departments including Department of Radiology, Radio physics, Nuclear Medicine, Immunology, Endocrinology, Pediatrics, Biochemistry, Pathology, Hospital Administration, Physical Medicine and Supportive services are delivering services with compassion and commitment.
Academics & Research is the vital area where SKIMS is excelling and contributing to medical services at the global level. The numerous research papers published in high impact Journals of the world such as Lancet, Nature and many more are an indicator of this. The establishment of the Department Of Clinical Research has been path breaking which has streamlined and consolidated research ecosystem at SKIMS. Multidisciplinary Research Unit (MRU), SKIMS recently earned top national ranking in healthcare research and rated among the top performing Units of the country’s healthcare research network.
This overview of SKIMS functioning is testament to its contribution to the healthcare system of the country. SKIMS is not an ordinary hospital merely contributing in patient care. Its foundation was set on bigger role in the tertiary care focused on Patient care, Research & Academics. It delivered on set objectives and stood tall in testing times through its distinctive services, surpassing the challenges. SKIMS established itself as “Mecca of Medicine”. The image of SKIMS across country as one of the finest Institute is etched in history and contemporary times.
Over the years with increase in patient influx SKIMS has now reached the stage where it needs to tart up and bring up to date patient care infrastructure . SKIMS has a glorious past, it needs to come on a bigger scale for future too to sustain for larger public welfare. Its contribution in patient care/ research and academics cannot be dismissed. This is not an ordinary hospital; this is an extraordinary Institution with legacy.
At present the major challenges SKIMS is facing is in terms of outdated infrastructure & depleting human resource. The infrastructure and workforce needs to be in commensurate to the patient load in each specialty. There is immediate need of high-end equipment’s to replace outdated and outlived infrastructure/ equipment’s so that quality patient care is not compromised. The various specialties like CVTS, Cardiology, Plastic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Surgical Oncology, and Urology are in need of advance equipment’s for optimal performance. Every specialty craves expansion and human resources for seamless services and to cater patient rush.
Given the exemplary performance and services provided by this Institution in all circumstances, this Institution needs special focus in terms of augmentation. Govt. of J&K needs to revisit the SKIMS from a different perspective. The Institution should be given Special grants to procure high-end equipments which is an immediate need in all areas of specialties. Decline in human resources is badly impacting the patient care. Thus recruitment should be fast tracked by the concerned agencies.
Another major area is Emergency SKIMS, being the face of the hospital needs immediate upliftment to address the high patient volume with an average of 800-900 patients visiting the emergency per day. The current dispensation though has prioritized the revamping of SKIMS Emergency and is making concerted efforts to improve its functioning taking all the stakeholders and experts on board exploring all possibilities to remodel the area for efficient patient care delivery. However, govt. should make special provisions to support the administration to enhance the patient care delivery in this sensitive area.
Strengthening tertiary care hospitals is an urgent need as poor people cannot afford to travel outside for advance treatments; neither can they afford Private Hospitals like Paras and many others coming in the Valley. In context of expansion, big corporate hospitals stepping in Kashmir are welcome. However, these hospitals do not offer alternative to the poor population who avail advance treatment in public hospitals on nominal charges. There is huge chunk of population who cannot afford costly treatment in these corporate hospitals. The costly treatment in cozy corners of these corporate hospitals may suffice top layer of society however, population below poverty line hugely depend on public hospitals like SKIMS. Thus it becomes imperative to strengthen Institutions like SKIMS where poor people can find a solace and they equally deserve so.
Augmentation of public hospitals means to provide access to poor people to the advanced & specialized treatment as they equally have right to quality care. But they can only avail these advanced facilities in Public Hospitals that too in their home state. They don’t need to travel outside and bear huge expenditures.
The establishment of SKIMS in Kashmir was on this prerogative that patients don’t need to travel outside the state bearing huge expenditures besides the difficulties and inconvenience they had to face outside J&K. SKIMS is the first hope and AIIMS will take a long to fill the gap whereas corporate hospitals are lucrative to very few.
(Author is Currently Working as Assistant Director Public Relations SKIMS; The views expressed are authors own and has nothing to do with Institution she is working for)
