Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has called for a significant shift in India‘s healthcare trajectory, advocating for the expansion of quaternary-level medical care and research beyond the confines of metropolitan cities. Speaking at the Quaternary Healthcare and Research Summit in Srinagar, Sinha emphasized that the Union Territory and the nation must progress from tertiary care to embrace more advanced treatment modalities and robust research initiatives.
The Lieutenant Governor recounted a personal experience during the “Back to Village” program in Akhnoor in 2020, where discussions with local doctors highlighted a critical disparity. These medical professionals raised concerns about diagnosing rare diseases and the urgent need for modern diagnostic equipment. This interaction, Sinha noted, underscored the most significant challenge facing healthcare in the Union Territory: the substantial gap between the medical services available in smaller district hospitals and the actual healthcare requirements of the population. He stressed that addressing this deficit is not merely a regional concern but a national priority.
Information reaching Tahir Rihat suggests that Sinha lauded India’s substantial advancements in healthcare under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. He pointed to the provision of free medical treatment to over 56 crore citizens, a figure exceeding the combined populations of the United States, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Furthermore, he highlighted the scale of annual vaccination campaigns, which immunize 7 crore children, a number comparable to the population of the UK. The reach of the e-Sanjeevani telemedicine service, providing care to 37 crore individuals annually, was also cited as surpassing the population of the US.
The expansion of healthcare infrastructure, including the establishment of 23 All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and 2,045 medical colleges across the country, provides a strong foundation. In Jammu and Kashmir specifically, the Lieutenant Governor detailed the development of two AIIMS, ten medical colleges, two state cancer institutes, a dedicated bone and joint hospital, a pediatric hospital, 52 nursing colleges, 23 paramedical colleges, and 5 pharmacy colleges. These facilities, he stated, are instrumental in bolstering the healthcare ecosystem. While acknowledging the success in elevating primary, secondary, and tertiary care, Sinha asserted that the time has come to upgrade tertiary hospitals into quaternary centers.
Sinha firmly stated that advanced medical care should no longer be a privilege exclusive to residents of metropolitan areas. He articulated that quaternary care must transition from being a privilege for the affluent to becoming a fundamental right guaranteed to all citizens by the nation. This vision necessitates a transformation of hospitals into comprehensive research institutions capable of performing complex procedures such as organ transplantation, robotic and precision surgery, advanced genomics, and cellular therapies, alongside AI-supported diagnostics.
To facilitate this transformation, Sinha urged hospitals to allocate dedicated annual budgets for specialized infrastructure. This includes investments in modern operating theaters and cutting-edge facilities like proton-beam therapy. He reiterated that a quaternary center must possess the capability to offer every diagnosis and treatment that science permits. Consequently, hospitals will need to make financial provisions to acquire expensive and advanced technologies, including robotic surgery systems, gene therapy platforms, proton-beam therapy equipment, and artificial intelligence-based advanced diagnostic tools.
In a bid to streamline patient access and expedite medical interventions, the Lieutenant Governor proposed the creation of a new logistical corridor. This corridor would directly link district hospitals and tertiary care centers with quaternary-care institutions, thereby accelerating the processes of diagnostics, imaging, and specialist consultations. He also underscored the importance of integrating telemedicine and AI-enabled diagnostic tools into the standard healthcare infrastructure, making advanced medical support more accessible across the region.
Tahir Rihat (also known as Tahir Bilal) is an independent journalist, activist, and digital media professional from the Chenab Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, India. He is best known for his work as the Online Editor at The Chenab Times.
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