1,000 given free treatment at Vaishno Devi hospital

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 20

On the directions of Governor NN Vohra, who is also the Chairman of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Kakryal, is providing free-of-cost treatment to the pilgrims who fall sick or suffer accidents and to the poor, needy and some other specified categories of patients. The cost of the medical care is being borne by the shrine board under its Medical Support Policy.

At a review meeting held on Friday, shrine board Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dheeraj Gupta said 1,026 pilgrims, land owners of the four surrounding villages of Sira, Kakryal, Kotla and Sool, who had given their lands for the establishment of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University and the hospital, and all those covered under the board’s gratuitous relief scheme were provided free-of-cost medical treatment amounting to Rs 3.11 crore at the hospital from April 2016 to May 2018.

The CEO said of the 1,026 beneficiaries, 357 were pilgrims who were provided free-of-cost indoor treatment at an expenditure of Rs 1.61 crore.

Prior to the establishment of the superspeciality hospital, pilgrims who met with accident or fell ill had to be referred to Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, on the recommendation of the Block Medical Officer, Community Health Centre, Katra. All pilgrims falling ill or sustaining injuries during their pilgrimage are now transported in the board’s ambulances to the Kakryal hospital. In some cases pilgrims requiring urgent medical attention are airlifted to the superspeciality hospital at the board’s expense. Due to the availability of superspeciality care at the hospital, the lives of many pilgrims have been saved.

In the past two years till May 2018, the shrine board has also provided financial assistance of Rs 1.46 crore to the 165 poor and needy patients under its Arogya Yojana, a scheme for providing free-of-cost treatment to the poor patients. In 504 cases, the families of land owners of the four surrounding villages of Sira, Kakryal, Kotla and Sool, whose lands were acquired for the establishment of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University and the hospital, were provided free-of-cost OPD services valuing Rs 4.41 lakh. Nine congenitally deaf children underwent surgeries at the hospital in the past three months. The shrine board paid over Rs 50 lakh for their implants.

Working for patient welfare 

1,026 pilgrims, people who have given their land for the establishment of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University and the hospital and all those covered under the shrine board's gratuitous relief scheme have been provided free-of-cost medical treatment amounting to Rs 3.11 crore at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Kakryal, from April 2016 to May 2018