LG Sinha calls for advanced healthcare in smaller districts

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday called for making advanced healthcare accessible beyond major cities, saying a gap persists between modern medicine's capabilities and what is available in smaller districts and remote areas.

Speaking at the National Summit on Quaternary Healthcare in Srinagar, Sinha said the challenge is not limited to the Union Territory but is national in scope. He recalled a visit to a health centre near Akhnoor during the 'Back to Village' programme, where doctors described families travelling to Jammu, Chandigarh or Delhi for treatment of complex diseases due to lack of local diagnostic equipment.

Sinha said India has expanded health insurance, vaccination, medical education and infrastructure over the past decade, but stressed that hospitals must become research centres and that telemedicine should connect remote facilities. He suggested NITI Aayog could help develop a national strategy for advanced care.