Prioritizing healthcare
The need to have an improved and performing healthcare set up has been felt very badly after the world grappled the deadly covid-19 pandemic. The situation in Jammu and Kashmir too demands that a well performing health care infrastructure is put in place so that people can fall back on the services as and when they require it.
No doubt healthcare services have been witnessing a massive turn around in Jammu and Kashmir since many years now as various schemes have been implemented here that favour a commoner who was otherwise crushed under the weight of seeking health care services.
Most of the healthcare services in Jammu and Kashmir have been made free for the people and even in critical or emergency situations people can avail the facilities of getting free of cost live saving equipments across the length and breadth of the UT.
Now even better healthcare facilities are being provided which include the just launched India’s first Tele-MANAS chat-bot service which will ensure round the clock services of health counsellors, clinical psychologists and consultants for the people of Jamu and Kashmir.
The Health and Medical Education Department has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoUs) with Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre and NIMHANS to ensure that the facility provides relied and access to the common people, that too round the clock.
Notably, the Centre had in Budget 2022 announced the National Tele Mental Health Programme of India, Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS). Tele-MANAS is a two-tier system. Tier 1 comprises State Tele MANAS cells, which includes trained counsellors and mental health specialists. Tier 2 comprises specialists at District Mental Health Programme (DMHP)/Medical College resources for physical consultation and/or eSanjeevani for audio visual consultation, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare website.
Tele-MANAS chat-bot service is an effort of the health department to bring together medical experts on a common platform to deliberate on most challenging health issues and to generate awareness on mental health and life threatening non-communicable diseases.
The MoU inked between the J-K Health and Medical Education Department and the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre will provide significant technical support to improve cancer care services in the UT and help to establish preventive oncology service, day care centres and palliative care service at district hospitals.
The services made available to the common people has once again reiterated that the claim on per capita spending on the health sector in Jammu and Kashmir is among the highest in the country is a reality which will go a long way in helping out the common people as far as their healthcare needs are concerned.
KV News
