PMDP in health sector extended for JK till 2020
Srinagar: The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Thursday extended Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) for State’s Healthcare sector till 2020. However, the development which is seen as a major step in enhancing the infrastructural base in the peripheries, is also raising questions over the availability of manpower required to run the additional created facilities.
The information regarding the development on Thursday was given by the Minister for Health and Medical Education, Bali Baghat in a tweet.
“Centre extends PMDP in Health Sector till 2020 for J&K. Releases Rs 625.2 cr for Health infra,” the Minister tweeted.
The minister, while referring to his meeting with the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, J P Nadda, said that the development is the outcome of their meeting held on March 15.
With the financial assistance that will come under PMDP, the experts are saying that the state should now focus more on the creation of more posts for medicos especially to be stationed in peripheries—where there is already a void between the patient influx and the number of doctors available to cater to the enormous needs.
Pertinently, the main focus of PMDP will be to increase the infrastructural presence and provide the medical equipments that are absent in various peripheral and central healthcare institutions.
Interestingly, there has been no creation of additional post in the healthcare system in the state for many years now, with the patient load only increasing with every passing day, however, the manpower remains the same.
Doctors’ Association of Kashmir (DAK) while welcoming the development said that with the creation of more infrastructure, the government will have no other option but to create more posts to run such facilities.
“We welcome the step and feel that once the infrastructure is built, there surely will be a need of additional manpower to run such facilities, which will ultimately pave way for the creation of new posts,” General Secretary, DAK Dr Owais Dar said.
KV Correspondent
