Srinagar, Nov 2: The Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) is undertaking a major infrastructure expansion at its main campus and SKIMS Medical College to strengthen patient care facilities and reduce the need for patients to seek treatment outside Jammu and Kashmir, Director Prof Ashraf Ganie said.
Speaking to Greater Kashmir on the sidelines of the 12-day sports series programme on Monday, Prof. Ganie said new college, inpatient department (IPD) and outpatient department (OPD) buildings were being constructed at SKIMS Medical College, adding that the expansion would give a major boost to the institution.
“We are not doing this only for the SKIMS main campus. The administrative setup is the same, and we are working on both institutions,” he said.
Prof Ganie said the institute was also procuring new machinery and equipment and would commission some instruments at SKIMS Medical College.
He said efforts were being made to secure additional grants, apart from government funding, to improve patient care facilities at both institutions.
“Our aim is to improve the standard of patient care day by day so that patients do not have to go outside for treatment,” he said.
On the long queues and waiting periods at the hospitals, Prof Ganie said SKIMS and SKIMS Medical College were referral institutions receiving a large number of patients from district hospitals and other peripheral healthcare facilities.
He said the rush could not be reduced unless the referral system at the peripheral level was strengthened and made more organised.
“Until the system is streamlined there, our rush will remain. As we increase our facilities, the rush cannot end because everyone wants to come to SKIMS,” he said.
Prof Ganie said the institute was holding meetings with peripheral hospitals and asking them to refer only patients who required specialised treatment.
“We want to solve small issues at the peripheral level. We want selected referrals so that those who really need our services can get better treatment,” he said.
He said the objective was to ensure that patients requiring specialised care received timely treatment while reducing the burden on the tertiary-care institutions.
