In a significant decision aimed at providing relief to the general public, the Health and Medical Education Department of the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory (UT) has opted to outsource a substantial number of medical tests. This move is intended to ensure that individuals can avail the maximum advantages of the ‘Ayushman Yojna’ health scheme.
Dr. Ashutosh Gupta, Dean and Principal of the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) in Jammu, stated, “The plan is in its final stages, and we will soon be outsourcing tests that are not currently available within the hospital premises. This initiative seeks to bring comprehensive benefits to the people under the ‘Ayushman Yojna’.
The directive to undertake this decision has come from the central government, with the goal of ensuring the complete accessibility of ‘Ayushman Yojna’ to the residents of Jammu and Kashmir UT.
Within the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) in Jammu, a prominent healthcare institution in the region, as well as in other hospitals across the Jammu region, there are over 150 essential medical tests that are not currently being conducted.
Patients who require these specific tests, while visiting hospitals including GMC-Jammu and Super Specialty Hospital, are left with no alternative but to bear the expenses of getting tested at private clinics and laboratories, incurring substantial costs.
“We have communicated with all the Heads of the Departments (HoDs) to compile a comprehensive list of medical tests that are not being offered within our hospital facilities in Jammu,” shared the Principal of GMC-Jammu. Further adding, “Our focus is on outsourcing advanced medical tests, alleviating the financial burden on individuals who would otherwise have to resort to private clinics and labs.”
Presently, high-end tests for various tumour types, biopsy, IHC markers, genetic tests, and a range of other expensive diagnostics are not available within the hospital premises. Consequently, individuals are compelled to make substantial payments at private clinics and laboratories situated outside the hospitals for these services.
