Srinagar: Stressing the need for developing civil-military health care system in Kashmir, a day-long medical conclave, organized here on Saturday said that there is no such mechanism available for the medical fraternity in the Valley, capable of providing overall holistic guidance to develop a local civil and military health care system.

A day long medical conclave to synergise the efforts of Health Services in Kashmir Valley with an aim to achieve “Health for All” was conducted on Saturday the Badami Bagh (BB) Cantonment Headquarters of the Chinar Corps, a defence ministry spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said.

He said the conclave, which was conceptualised by Brig SK Jha, Brig Medical, Chinar Corps under the guidance of Lt Gen AK Bhatt, GOC, Chinar Corps was attended by Dr Farooq Ahmad Jan, Medical Superintendent, SKIMS, Dr Rafi Arshad, Principal & Secretary, RIHFW and Specialist Doctors from the Army and various Government and Private hospitals who exchanged ideas to provide best possible quality health care facility to the populace Including those living in for flung areas of the Kashmir Valley.

Currently, there is no common civil-military approach mechanism in for the medical fraternity in the Valley, capable of providing overall holistic guidance to develop a local civil and military health care system.

The conclave with the guiding principle of World Health Day’s theme for the year 2018-19.

“Universal Health Coverage for everyone everywhere, all should enjoy highest standards of health regardless of race, religion, political belief, economic & social condition, urban or rural area deliberated on providing a comprehensive and a holistic health care to the citizens of Kashmir,” said the spokesman.

Speaking on the occasion Lt Gen AK Bhatt, GOC, Chinar Corps said that health care has emerged as one of the most challenging functions in the Kashmir valley.

However, he complimented the medical fraternity for tirelessly working to provide quality health care to the Awam in the remotest corners of Kashmir division in varied geographical dispersion, hilly terrain, extremes of weather conditions and the prevailing security scenario in the Valley.

He said while the Armed forces have always offered service to the local populace through its various units in the form of Medical Camps under the aegis of Sadhbhavana, fixed medical centres, Mobile Medical Teams, it should be our endeavour to ensure that the common man is not deprived of medicare under any circumstance.

Towards this, initiative has been taken to create this platform for premier institutions and organisations to discuss and deliberate upon various issues that affect the health scenario, which is centric to Kashmir valley, culminating in synergising the efforts of government and private health care sectors.

Dr Farooq Ahmad Jan complimented Brig SK Jha and his team of Medical Officers for this unique initiative and thanked Lt Gen Bhatt for providing a platform to the doctors to interact and share their problems and develop a concept and doctrine for “Health for all : everyone and everywhere” so that the military – civil medical capabilities can be augmented for the common goal of medicare to all.