SKIMS augments healthcare infrastructure, critical care

Srinagar, Apr 7: In order to improve patient care and advance healthcare delivery at SKIMS Soura, the premier-most healthcare institute of J&K, the Institute today announced a slew of steps. World Health day was chosen as the occasion to dedicate state-of-art equipment and promise to augment manpower at the Institute.

Director SKIMS Soura and Ex Officio Secretary to Government  Dr Ashraf Ganai today showcased 150 ICU beds that had been procured for improving critical care facilities at the Institute. The ICU beds, he said, will be the game-changer for J&K, which is grappling with a gross shortage of critical care infrastructure.

SKIMS Soura is the institute that receives most of the trauma cases including Road Traffic Accidents (RTA) and patients suffering from terminal illnesses. He said tenders for two oxygen plants had been floated, while ventilators and other equipment needed for setting up critical care units was already on way. “We will have the most advanced critical care set-up in J&K, and our aim is to take the patient care to the level of the most advanced of countries in India,” he said.

Regarding the manpower needed for serving the additional ICU beds, Dr Gaiani said around 1000 employees of SKIMS were being promoted on World Health Day. He said it was a perfect way to recognize the contribution of healthcare workers and boost their morals.

He said 40 nurses were also among those who were getting the promotion. “This will also create positions, including positions of nurses at the entry level and we will be able to recruit more staff that will help us run the Institute and all the additional facilities we are bringing in smoothly."

He said the equipment Rs 50 crore had been ordered and was in the process of being commissioned. He said in the last two quarters, a budget worth Rs 80 crore had been spent, while demand for an additional Rs 55 crore was being raised which is expected to be released in the next few months.

Regarding Cancer Care, Dr Ganai said, an additional Linear Accelerator will be added to the equipment of SKIMS Soura. He said the Day Care for Cancer was being strengthened with 20 more beds making the total bed strength 60. In addition, an Onco-Net was also in the process of being created and this would help streamline cancer care across the medical college hospitals. He said having a PET-Scan facility in each district hospital was not needed and doctors must be diligent and careful in prescribing PET Scan. “A lot of unnecessary PET Scans are prescribed which adds to the waiting time. We have made a committee that will scrutinize the requests for PET Scans. This will definitely bring down the waiting time for patients,” he said.

Dr Ganai said that the free drug inventory at SKIMS Soura had been increased from 16 to 160, making healthcare less of a burden on the underprivileged. The PM ABJAY counters had been opened in every ward of the hospital to create seamless access to cashless treatment. “Earlier ,patients had to run from one counter to the other, but now, they have a help desk in the ward they are admitted at,” he said.

Lauding the contribution of SKIMS Soura in the healthcare landscape of J&K and India, Dr Ganai said SKIMS Soura was designed on the lines of AIIMS New Delhi. “A lot of institutes were designed like AIIMS New Delhi, but it is only SKIMS Soura that can boast of a healthcare infrastructure, trained manpower, robust research and treatment results like AIIMS New Delhi,” he said. He said in the entire year that went by, only 27 referrals had been made from SKIMS Soura to institutes outside J&K.

A tour of facilities and newly acquired equipment was carried out along with media representatives. The new equipment includes radiofrequency ablation machine, complete 3D4K visualiser tower for kidney transplant, high speed drill for neurosurgery, full fledged endoscopy system, pediatric bronchoscopy system, portable color Doppler USG and 20 anesthesia workstations.