Anantnag, Apr 3 (KNS): Health Minister Sakina Itoo said on Friday said that Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has fulfilled the “impossible” dream of south Kashmir by establishing a cath lab, MRI machine and modular operation theatre at the Government Medical College (GMC).
Speaking to news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS) after the inauguration of the facilities, minister Itoo described the development as a “great achievement” of the CM Omar Abdullah-led government.
“It was an impossible thing to install a cath lab in Anantnag, to install an MRI in Anantnag, to install a modular OT in Anantnag. The dream that was fulfilled today under the leadership of Omar Abdullah,” she said.
The minister asserted that the chief minister was “very concerned and very serious” about healthcare in south Kashmir, adding that patients from the Pir Panjal region would no longer need to travel to Srinagar for expensive diagnostic tests.
Recalling the poor condition of the hospital earlier, Sakina Itoo said stray dogs used to be seen inside the premises.
“This is a great achievement of the government,” she said.
Health minister appealed to people to maintain cleanliness at the hospital, quoting the Islamic saying that “cleanliness is half faith.” She warned that lack of hygiene could lead to infections and death.
The minister said the government had started providing food to patients and attendants, which was not done earlier. She thanked local MLAs including Hassnain Masoodi for their support.
Minister Itoo informed that a 1.5 Tesla MRI machine worth Rs 21 crore had been installed, along with a cath lab and the posting of 3-4 cardiologists and radiologists.
“This is not only for one district but for the whole of south Kashmir and patients from Pir Panjal,” she added. (KNS)
CM Omar Abdullah fulfilled ‘impossible’ dream of south Kashmir with new cath lab, MRI: Sakina Itoo
