J&K Budget: Better diagnostics, improved emergency, cardiac care promised

Srinagar, Mar 9: The J&K Budget announced a focused approach on improving healthcare delivery by boosting availability of machinery and equipment as well as creation of cardiac care and emergency services.

As a major boost to cancer diagnostics, PET Scan services have been promised to be started in ‘all new GMCs’ of J&K. With the aim of strengthening healthcare infrastructure and delivery of health services in all areas of J&K, as well as improving medical education, a budget allocation of Rs 1750.5 crore has been allocated to the sector under capital expenditure. This, the CM in his Budget speech today said, was a substantial increase of Rs 643.71 crore from the revised allocation of 2024-25.

The CM, while enumerating the tertiary care healthcare institutions in J&K, said AIIMS Kashmir will be operational in 2025-26. He said J&K already had two State Cancer Institutes, in addition to having two Bones and Joints Hospitals and 4000 other health facilities at various operational levels.

For patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), the burden of which is increasing steeply in J&K, the budget has good news. All the 83 Sub-District Hospitals (SDH)and Community Health Centers (CHC)of J&K will have a dialysis service over the next two years. Additional Rs 16.8 crore was announced for new dialysis centers in these hospitals for the upcoming financial year.

For improving the availability of machinery and equipment in J&K hospitals, CM announced the allocation had been doubled this year to Rs 400 crore.

With the budgetary allocation of Rs 110 crore, MRI and PET Scans in all new GMCs of J&K. Pertinently, Kashmir division has only one PET Scan facility in the Government sector resulting in a major delay in patients requiring the scan for diagnosis and progress assessment of malignancies. All district hospitals will have CT Scan facility. Rs 45 crore has been allocated to establishment of three cath labs, one each in north Kashmir, Chenab Valley and Pir Panjal. In 2025-26, Rs 16.5 crore has been allocated to district hospitals and sub-district hospitals for procurement of portable AI based X Ray units to aid in TB elimination with faster and better diagnosis. Rs 7 crore has been allocated to GMC Srinagar and Jammu for research in Emergency Medicine for a priod of next three years. Emergency Medicine Departments will be established in all GMCs of J&K with a bed capacity 30 each. A maintenance grant of Rs 32 crore has been allocated to maintenance of oxygen generation plants, lifts, toilets and ramps.

The 200-bedded IPD block at SKIMS Medical College Hospital has received a budget allocation and a promise of completion. With an allocation of Rs 86 crore, the 250-bedded maternity and Child Hospital will be established at Janglat Mandi Anantnag.

Government announced it will introduce the Healthcare Investment Policy (HCIP) to enhance private investment in the sector. Establishment of Drug testing Labs for quality and safety of drugs in Kathua also finds a mention in the budget. The budget mentioned that Drug De-Addiction Infrastructure was in place in 20 district hospitals. “Strict action, including seizure of contraband and property, will be taken against peddlers to safeguard the youth from this threat.