JAMMU: Minister for Health & Medical Education, Social Welfare and Education, Sakeena Itoo, on Tuesday inaugurated the newly constructed building of Government Degree College Katra at Kakryal, marking a significant step towards strengthening the higher education infrastructure.
The college building was constructed by the J&K Housing Board at a cost of ₹12.92 lakh.
MLA Katra Baldev Raj Sharma, Director Colleges Dr. Sheikh Ajaz Bashir, Director Health Services Jammu, Principal of the college, faculty members, students and local residents were present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister congratulated the students, faculty members and people of Katra on completion of the new college building. She said that the new facility would provide better infrastructure and quality education to students who were earlier studying in a makeshift arrangement. She credited Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for releasing the necessary funds for the project and appreciated the efforts of the executing agencies, engineers and all other stakeholders involved in completing the building.
Meanwhile, Sakeena Itoo also conducted an extensive visit to Government Medical College and Associated Hospital, Udhampur and inaugurated a 128-Slice CT Scan machine.
Member Legislative Assembly, Udhampur West, Pawan Kumar Gupta, DIG Udhampur-Reasi Range, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, Minga Sherpa, Director Social Welfare Jammu, Ranjeet Singh, Director Health Services Jammu, Poonam Sethi, PO Poshan Subash Dogra, Principal GMC Udhampur, Dr. Pramod Kalsotra; Medical Superintendent, Dr. Sanjeev Gupta and other senior officers were present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that installation of the advanced CT Scan facility marks a significant step towards strengthening the healthcare infrastructure and diagnostic services at Associated Hospital, GMC Udhampur.
The 128-Slice CT Scan machine has been installed at a cost of Rs 8.30 crore. The advanced technology will facilitate faster and more accurate diagnosis of various medical conditions, particularly benefiting the patients requiring emergency, trauma, neurological, cardiac and other specialized investigations.
Sakeena Itoo added that the facility will also enable advanced diagnostic procedures such as CT Angiography, Cardiac CT and Triple-Phase Imaging, further enhancing the hospital diagnostic capabilities. She said the government is committed to provide accessible, affordable and quality healthcare services to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, with special focus on strengthening Government Medical Colleges and their associated hospitals.
The Minister observed that GMC Udhampur has emerged as an important healthcare and academic institution serving the people of Udhampur and adjoining areas. She said the addition of modern diagnostic equipment like the 128-Slice CT Scan machine would help the institution meet the growing healthcare needs of the population and reduce referrals to other healthcare institutions.
After the inauguration, the Minister chaired a detailed review meeting with the GMC administration to assess the overall functioning of the Associated Hospital. She enquired about the staff strength, OPD services, infrastructure, availability of medicines and diagnostic facilities besides reviewing the progress of ongoing works.
Emphasizing punctuality and patient-friendly services, Sakeena Itoo directed the hospital administration to ensure timely delivery of healthcare services and maintain proper hygiene and sanitation across the hospital premises.
The Minister also issued on-the-spot directions to the executing agencies to expedite the completion of ongoing projects by deploying additional manpower and increasing the number of working shifts at construction sites.
