SKIMS struggles with 60% vacancies but vows to uphold standards of care

Srinagar, Dec 5: On its 42nd annual day commemoration, Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, drew the government’s attention towards the gross shortage of staff and funds while pledging that the shortages would not deter its team from delivering services to the people of J&K.

Minister for Health and Medical Education, Education, and Social Welfare Sakeena Masood (Itoo), who was the guest of honour, praised the staff of SKIMS, Soura, for “taking care of the sick in J&K”.

She said J&K still lacked medical facilities that it should have had by now.

“Patients have to go out for many advanced treatments and transplants, those need to be made available here,” the minister said.

She assured the gathering that the government was aware of the needs of the healthcare sector and would work towards fulfilling those.

In his address at the event, Director SKIMS Soura Prof Ashraf Ganaie batted for a one-time grant for faculty recruitment.

“We are working with 40 percent staff here while 60 percent posts are vacant,” he said addressing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was the chief guest on the occasion.

Prof Ganaie urged the government to declare SKIMS, Soura, as a medical university that would act as the nodal point for all the 14 medical colleges in J&K.

“SKIMS has the potential and is ready to deliver,” he said.

Prof Ganaie said that the institute has a track record of excellence which could be gauged from over 1500 published research papers and the number of projects and grants it has been able to procure over the past.

He demanded that SKIMS, Soura, be provided a one-time grant for the much-needed repairs to the infrastructure.

The event was beamed live at five different locations due to the paucity of space at SKIMS, Soura, auditorium and the demand for a new auditorium was also raised.

Prof Ganaie expressed delight that this year SKIMS, Soura, annual day celebrations saw attendance from legislators and CM and expressed hope that it would bring about the much-needed push to the development and infrastructure.

Founder Director of SKIMS, Prof Ajit Nagpal delivered the Sher-e-Kashmir oration, where he recounted how SKIMS Soura had contributed to the field of medical education, research, and innovation in medical and allied sciences. He attributed his lifetime achievements to his association with SKIMS, Soura, and expressed hope that the incumbent government would work towards improving the standards of healthcare delivery not only at the institute but across J&K.

The day saw many projects being inaugurated at the institute by the CM.

The emergency operation theatre block and the SKIMS Medical University complex were commissioned, while daycare centre at State Cancer Institute, sports ground, 4D CT simulator for Radiation Oncology Department and various facilities for attendants were inaugurated.

The annual report of SKIMS, Soura, was also released.

The event was attended by Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Transport, Science and Technology, Information Technology, Youth Services and Sports and ARI and Training Departments, Satish Sharma as guest of honour in addition to Advisor to CM Nasir Aslam Wani and various legislators including Nazir Ahmad Khan (Gurezi), Sajjad Shafi, Tanvir Sadiq, Farooq Shah, Showkat Hussain, Ghulam Mohiuddin Mir, Riyaz Khan, Peerzada Feroz, and Abdul Majeed Larmi.

Many former directors of SKIMS Soura were felicitated and presented mementoes.

The event was also attended by Secretary Health and Medical Education Syed Abid Rashid Shah.

Dean Medical Faculty, SKIMS, Soura, Prof Shariq Masoodi presented the vote of thanks.