Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi has welcomed Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda’s visit to AIIMS Awantipora to review the institute’s progress and operational preparedness, calling it an important step towards strengthening specialised healthcare in Jammu and Kashmir.
Inam said AIIMS Awantipora represents hope for thousands of families who have long struggled to access advanced medical treatment in the Union Territory. He expressed hope that the ongoing efforts would lead to timely operationalisation of the institute, with functional OPD, diagnostic and specialist services.
He also acknowledged what he described as the sustained advocacy of Baramulla MP Er Rashid for strengthening healthcare infrastructure across Kashmir, particularly in underserved regions. According to Inam, Er Rashid has consistently raised critical healthcare concerns in Parliament and sought equitable access to quality medical facilities for the people.
Turning to GMC Handwara, Inam expressed serious concern that construction work has remained stalled since 2024 and demanded its immediate resumption. He said people of Handwara, Kupwara and adjoining areas cannot be made to wait indefinitely while patients continue to travel long distances for specialised treatment.
“Healthcare is not merely about buildings and infrastructure; it is about saving lives and easing the suffering of ordinary families. A patient in North Kashmir deserves the same dignity and access to quality treatment as someone in a major city,” he said.
Inam urged Nadda to personally intervene in the GMC Handwara matter and ensure that construction resumes without further delay. The AIP, he said, welcomes progress at AIIMS Awantipora but stresses that healthcare development must be equitable, leaving no region or community behind.
North Kashmir’s districts, including Kupwara, are among the more remote parts of the Valley, where terrain and winter weather can make travel to Srinagar’s tertiary hospitals slow and difficult. A medical college at Handwara has long been viewed locally as a way to bring specialist care and medical education closer to the population, which is why a stalled construction schedule has drawn concern among residents.
The statement links two separate healthcare issues, one concerning a national institute in south Kashmir and the other a government medical college in the north, and uses the Union Minister’s visit to press for attention to the latter. Such calls often reflect regional sentiment that development projects should be distributed fairly across the Valley.
The party did not cite any official reason for the stoppage of work at GMC Handwara, and the statement did not mention any response from the administration. Whether the Union Health Minister takes up the matter remains to be seen.
