Minister of Health and Medical Education Sakina Itoo on Monday said that the government is seriously looking into introducing an incentive policy for doctors serving in rural and far-flung areas to strengthen healthcare delivery across the Union Territory.
Speaking to reporters during her visit to Uri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the minister as per news gathering agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) said that while many doctors prefer to work in urban Health centres, the government is determined to ensure that medical services reach even the most remote areas.
“Doctors are ours, and they have to serve in far-flung areas too. The issue is that incentives are mostly given to doctors working in cities, while the doctors who work in remote and difficult areas deserve them more,” Sakina Itoo said
The minister said the Health Department is actively considering an incentive plan that will provide higher financial and professional benefits to doctors who choose to serve in remote locations.
“We are working on a new framework. Just as city doctors receive incentives, those serving in villages should get even more. Our goal is to make sure that no rural health centre suffers due to shortage of doctors,” she added.
Sakina Itoo also highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to upgrade rural hospitals with modern equipment and better facilities.
She said the department has already installed several machines in different hospitals, but more needs to be done to improve healthcare in distant areas.
“People have demanded more equipment, and we are taking those demands seriously. We have already supplied various machines to health centres, but our work is not over. We are committed to ensuring that every hospital, especially in far-flung areas, has the equipment it needs,” she said.
Responding to concerns about the alleged shortage of senior doctors at Government Medical College (GMC) Baramulla, the minister dismissed the claims and assured that senior doctors are available.
“Senior doctors are present at GMC Baramulla. We have given clear directions to ensure that all doctors remain available and perform their duties regularly,” she said.
Sakina Itoo also addressed issues related to the QR code-based registration system in hospitals, which has reportedly caused inconvenience to patients without smartphones.
“The government has already directed the Health Department to ensure that patients without smartphones face no difficulty. Such patients will be provided with an offline system for registration and admission,” she explained.(KINS)
