JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing a major transformation in its healthcare sector, with large-scale infrastructure expansion and sharp increase in medical education capacity positioning the Union Territory as an emerging medical hub, health officials said on Tuesday.
With two AIIMS, 12 government medical colleges, 17 critical care blocks (CCBs) and 3,166 health and wellness centres now in place or under various stages of completion, healthcare services have been significantly strengthened from tertiary care institutions to the grassroots level, they said.
“A series of strategic interventions and sustained support from the government of India have fundamentally reshaped healthcare delivery in Jammu and Kashmir, ensuring quality medical services even in rural, border and geographically difficult areas,” a senior health department official said.
Officials said the establishment of two All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has been a major milestone. While AIIMS Jammu is fully operational and offering super-specialty services, AIIMS Kashmir is nearing completion and is expected to become functional by the end of the year, they said.
“AIIMS Jammu has already reduced the need for patients to travel outside the UT for advanced treatment. AIIMS Kashmir will further strengthen super-specialty care in the Valley, particularly in oncology, cardiology and neurology,” the official said.
The UT has also seen an unprecedented expansion of government medical colleges, increasing their number from four to 12.
“New institutions in districts such as Anantnag, Baramulla, Kupwara, Kathua, Doda, Udhampur and Rajouri have emerged as key district-level healthcare centres.
“These colleges are not only improving access to specialists and diagnostics but are also strengthening local healthcare capacity by functioning as teaching hospitals,” another health official said.
Medical education capacity has expanded sharply, with MBBS seats rising from 500 to 1,725, while postgraduate and super-specialty seats have increased from 513 to 802. DNB seats have jumped from 20 to 438, the officials said.
This expansion will address the long-standing shortage of doctors and ensure the availability of trained specialists even in remote and border areas, they said.
The officials said allied health education has also received a major push, with B.Sc (Nursing) seats increasing from 685 to over 3,000, paramedical seats from 78 to nearly 1,900 and B-Pharmacy seats from 33 to 373.
Several major healthcare infrastructure projects are under implementation, including a 243-bedded modern labour block at SMGS Hospital in Jammu, a 100-bedded mother and child care hospital at Lamberi in Rajouri, and a 125-bedded district hospital at Budgam.
Under the PM-ABHIM (Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission) scheme, 17 critical care blocks are being established to strengthen emergency and critical care services across the UT, the officials said.
At the primary healthcare level, the number of health and wellness centres has increased from 130 to 3,166, while Jan Aushadhi Kendras have grown from 47 to 307. The ambulance fleet has expanded to 489 vehicles, significantly improving emergency response, particularly in hilly and remote areas, they said.
“These interventions have reduced out-of-pocket expenditure and brought healthcare closer to people’s doorsteps,” said one of the officials quoted above.
Specialised facilities such as State Cancer Institutes in Jammu and Srinagar, Bone and Joint Hospitals in both cities, and a 500-bedded Paediatric Hospital in Srinagar are now operational, further strengthening tertiary care.
The health officials said the reforms are already reflecting in improved outcomes, with the infant mortality rate declining from 22 to 14 and the sex ratio at birth improving from 927 to 976.
“The scale and depth of healthcare reforms have positioned Jammu and Kashmir as a model for healthcare transformation. These initiatives lay a strong foundation for a resilient, equitable and self-reliant healthcare system,” the official said. (PTI)