Jammu and Kashmir Health Minister's Directives

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir health minister Bali Bhagat called for strict implementation of Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) in all health institutions, including tertiary-care centres, across the state while prescribing medicines.

Reiterating his directive that only genuine and necessary medicines, preferably those available with the government, should be prescribed for patients at government hospitals, he said there are reports about unnecessary and substandard medicines being prescribed for commission and to give benefits to some particular firms.

Those indulging in this "unhealthy and unholy practice" are being warned again. If they do not mend their ways, the government will take strict action against them, Bhagat said.

The minister directed officials to form a joint committee of Heads of Departments/experts from Kashmir and Jammu regions to suggest ways and means for strict implementation of SoP so that poor patients do not have to make unnecessary expenditure to buy medicines from the market.

He directed principals of government medical colleges, dental colleges, directors of health services in the state, ISM Department to recommend names of people to be inducted in the committee within a week.

Chairing a meeting of Head of Departments, convened here to gauge the progress of various decisions taken in earlier meetings regarding functioning of the department, Bhagat emphasised on speeding up digitisation of departmental records to ensure transparency in its functioning.

Officials concerned of all district hospitals, medical colleges must be deputed to undergo training on digitisation of records on priority basis, he said.

Expressing concern over the rate of referral of patients from secondary to tertiary-care centres to government hospitals, the minister told officials to strengthen the existing mechanism to ensure that only serious patients are referred.

Control rooms set up at sub-district and district hospital levels should be activated for effective monitoring and keep a check on unnecessary referrals, he said.

Bhagat also took stock of the overall functioning of the department, availability and supply of medicines to health institutions and implementation of various programmes under National Health Mission.

He directed HoDs concerned to make field visits frequently to oversee functioning of ground-level institutions and address important issues on-the-spot.