Jammu, Nov 13 (KNS): Health and Medical Education Minister Sakeena Itoo on Friday directed officials to identify and address gaps in healthcare delivery under the National Health Mission (NHM), stressing that the availability of funds, manpower and infrastructure must translate into improved medical services for people across Jammu and Kashmir.

Chairing a review meeting at the Civil Secretariat in Jammu, the Minister assessed the functioning of NHM, including financial management, availability of healthcare personnel, medical infrastructure, supply of essential medicines, diagnostic facilities and patient transport services.

She asked officials to ensure effective utilisation of resources and take time-bound measures to address shortcomings affecting healthcare delivery, particularly in rural and remote areas.

"NHM is an important instrument for strengthening the public healthcare system. Our focus must be on ensuring that every resource allocated under the mission is utilised efficiently and delivers measurable benefits to the people. There should be no gap between the availability of resources and delivery of healthcare services," Itoo said.

The Minister said greater accountability and coordination among departments were necessary to improve the functioning of government health institutions and ensure that patients receive timely medical attention.

She directed officials to review the availability of doctors and other healthcare personnel, maintain punctuality in health institutions and ensure uninterrupted access to medicines and diagnostic services.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

Highlighting the difficulties faced by residents of far-flung and underserved areas, Itoo said access to quality healthcare should not depend on geographical location.

"Our priority is to make quality healthcare accessible, affordable and dependable for every citizen. The benefits of NHM must reach the last person in the queue and no individual should be deprived of essential medical facilities due to geographical or infrastructural limitations," she said.

The Minister also called for improvements in patient transport services, particularly in areas where access to hospitals and emergency medical facilities remains difficult.

She instructed the concerned officers to revisit the issues and bottlenecks identified during the review, prepare action plans and ensure their resolution within stipulated timelines.

Itoo further stressed regular monitoring of NHM programmes and fixing responsibility at appropriate levels to improve service delivery and ensure accountability.

The meeting also reviewed public health planning, financial expenditure, human resource management and implementation of various healthcare initiatives under NHM.

Commissioner Secretary Health and Medical Education Saugat Biswas, NHM Mission Director Athar Aamir Ul Shafi Khan, Directors of Health Services Jammu and Kashmir, Director Family Welfare and Immunization, and senior officials of the department attended the meeting. (KNS)