A new block with 20 state-of-the-art operation theatres has opened at AIIMS Jammu.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh inaugurated it on Saturday.
Singh said the facility will reduce the need for patients to seek advanced treatment outside the Union Territory.
Speaking to reporters, he called the block another milestone for the medical institute.
He also praised its fast progress in infrastructure, faculty and medical facilities.
Greater Kashmir reported this on Saturday.
Key points
- A block with 20 operation theatres was inaugurated at AIIMS Jammu on Saturday.
- The facility aims to cut the need for patients to travel out of the Union Territory for advanced surgery.
- Faculty shortages in some specialities are limiting resident seats and sometimes slowing course expansion.
- The hospital is also expected to serve neighbouring states, including Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
Will this change things for patients in Jammu?
Singh said the availability of advanced surgical facilities can reduce travel to other states for specialised treatment.
He also said the institute will serve as a referral hospital for the Jammu region.
It will also serve neighbouring states, including Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
The institute also offers AYUSH services, the minister noted.
How does this fit into the bigger picture for healthcare?
Singh said Jammu and Kashmir may be the only Union Territory with two AIIMS.
One is at Vijaypur in Samba, and the other is at Awantipora in Kashmir.
He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the second AIIMS in Jammu.
He said the Prime Minister insisted that if one was sanctioned for Srinagar, another should come up in Jammu.
Singh said the institute has grown quickly over the past eight to ten years.
He said it added specialities at a pace not commonly seen in medical colleges.
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
What is still a challenge for the institute?
Singh admitted that faculty shortages in some specialities are limiting resident seats.
This has sometimes affected the expansion of courses.
He said MD and DM programmes have already been introduced.
Faculty issues were discussed with AIIMS Jammu Director Sanjeev Sinha.
These issues are also being taken up in Delhi, Singh said.
Explainer
What happened before
- Jammu and Kashmir has two AIIMS, one at Vijaypur in Samba and another at Awantipora in Kashmir.
- Union Minister Jitendra Singh credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the second AIIMS in Jammu.
- MD and DM programmes have already been introduced at AIIMS Jammu.
Why it matters
Patients may need to travel to other states for specialised treatment less often, and the hospital will also serve neighbouring states.
What to watch next
- Faculty issues are being discussed with AIIMS Jammu Director Sanjeev Sinha and are also being taken up in Delhi.
