Onlykashmir.in News Desk
In a show of the Omar Abdullah government’s commitment to closing the healthcare infrastructure gap in Srinagar’s older urban constituencies, Health and Medical Education Minister Sakeena Itoo undertook a comprehensive inspection tour of medical facilities across the Khanyar and Hazratbal constituencies on Friday. The visit, which covered a range of urban healthcare institutions, resulted in a series of concrete announcements and firm directions to implementing departments.
Accompanied by MLA Khanyar Ali Mohammad Sagar and MLA Hazratbal Salman Ali Sagar, the Minister began her tour at the Urban Public Health Centre at S.R. Gunj, where she inspected ongoing upgradation works. She directed authorities to expedite the completion of pending works — including the rooftop structure, approach road, and lift facility — so that the upgraded centre can be operationalised without further delay. The Minister noted that the health centre has been designed in a manner that preserves the architectural and cultural heritage of the Khanyar area while significantly enhancing healthcare delivery for residents.
At Gousia Hospital in Khanyar, a major announcement followed: the Minister declared the construction of an additional block on an identified site in the vicinity to address longstanding concerns of space constraints and parking. Concerned departments were directed to complete all required formalities at the earliest and initiate the preparation of a Detailed Project Report for the project.
The sub-district hospital at Habbak Chowk in Hazratbal was also on the inspection itinerary. Here, Sakeena Itoo announced that work on the already-approved 50-bedded hospital block will begin shortly. She credited Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for securing Cabinet approval for the project and acknowledged the persistent efforts of local MLA Salman Ali Sagar in pursuing the matter.
The Minister also spoke to a larger healthcare agenda, revealing that approximately 400 new doctors are being deployed across Jammu and Kashmir to address staff shortages and improve service delivery at public health institutions. She underlined that the government’s focus is on ensuring that the economically weaker sections of society do not have to resort to expensive private healthcare for quality treatment.
