Chief Secy seeks guidance of NITI Aayog on Tele-ICU setup in new GMCs

Srinagar, Sep 18: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today held a detailed discussion with Member, NITI Aayog, Dr V.K. Paul, on the establishment of Tele-ICU facilities across the newly established Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) in the Union Territory of J&K.

During the interaction, Dr Paul shared valuable insights and highlighted successful Tele-ICU models being implemented across the country by leading health technology providers such as Apollo Tele Health, Medanta, Cloudphysician, and Health Net.

He emphasized the importance of studying these models to identify suitable strategies for J&K hospitals.

Dr. Paul further advised that the needs and aspirations of individual hospitals, as well as their existing infrastructure, must be carefully assessed before rolling out the Tele-ICU initiative. He underscored the significance of capacity building and staff training, which would be critical to ensuring the success of such a technology-driven healthcare model in the UT.

Expressing gratitude to Dr Paul for his guidance, the Chief Secretary reiterated the UT administration’s commitment to adopting innovative healthcare solutions. He highlighted that J&K is working towards establishing Tele-ICU facilities under the hub-and-spoke model, enabling 24x7 critical care monitoring and expert consultation. Under this model, newly established GMCs would serve as spokes, linked to a robust hub and command centre within the UT.

The Chief Secretary also proposed sending an expert team from J&K to leading healthcare institutions in the country to study the functioning of Tele-ICUs and their command centres. He noted that while J&K has unique challenges due to its difficult topography and human resource constraints, the administration is determined to tailor solutions that fit the region’s requirements.