Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said the quality of services at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) should be improved so that people are not forced to go outside for treatments while warning the doctors against private practise.
He said the quality of services at the institute has to improve so that people do not have to go for referrals to New Delhi, Chandigarh or any other place outside the state for advanced treatment.
"There is a need for enhancing scope and facilities at the institute for providing super-speciality healthcare to the people," he said.
"Once patients are referred to institutes outside the state, they have to spend a lot of money on their treatment which they cannot afford," the chief minister said adding the institute will have to regulate referrals so that its performance as a premier institute in tertiary healthcare is not affected.
Sayeed also directed for strict implementation of ban imposed on the private practise of SKIMS doctors, saying they should choose between their jobs and private practice.
"SKIMS doctors have to choose either between keeping their job or private practise and any violation of the directions will be viewed seriously," Sayeed said chairing the governing body meeting of the institute.
Emphasising the need to strictly monitor the ban on private practise of SKIMS doctors, Sayeed asked the management to bring the institute at par with the quality provided by AIIMS in New Delhi.
He also stressed on the need to improve and upgrade delivery of healthcare services at sub-district and district-level hospitals in the state.
Briefing Sayeed about upgrading infrastructure at the institute, Director SKIMS Showkat Zargar said the Regional Cancer Centre has been upgraded to the level of State Cancer Institute and an amount of Rs 120 crore as grant-in-aid has been approved by the Central Government.
"Rs 47 crore has been sanctioned as first instalment that will be released to the institute shortly. The money will be utilised for procurement of PET Scan and Cyclotron machine which will improve quality of healthcare at the Centre," he said.
Informing the Chief Minister about the steps taken to provide better patient-care at 685-bedded SKIMS, the Director said over eight lakh patients were treated at SKIMS in 2014 and nine new departments have been added at the institute.
