BARAMULLA, SEPTEMBER 19: Giving a major fillip to upgrading integrated healthcare services in Kashmir, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri Mansukh Mandaviya today e-inaugurated five Addiction Treatment Facility (ATF) Centres from Regional Institute of Health and Family Welfare Baramulla.
These ATFs, one each for Budgam, Bandipora, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam districts, will strengthen the existing drug de-addiction mechanism across the valley as they will provide holistic and integrated treatment to drug addicts.
The Minister was on a two day visit to Baramulla district as part of Union Government’s public outreach programme which aimed to evoke public feedback at grass root levels besides giving impetus to basic infrastructure by a series of new developmental projects.
The Minister also presided over a felicitation ceremony where he felicitated the COVID-19 warriors for their remarkable services which they rendered during the tough circumstances that emerged due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister called them as the real gems of the country who worked tirelessly and selflessly for well-being of the people. He said that their valuable services shall be remembered for generations to come adding that whole nation is indebted to their extraordinary service.
Enlisting various initiatives taken to upgrade the basic infrastructure in health institutions, the Minister said that the current government is very keen to provide affordable and inclusive health and medicare services to the people with special focus on weaker and downtrodden sections. He added that under Ayushman Bharat Pariyojana, free and qualitative healthcare services are being provided to the people of J&K besides terming it as an evolutionary step taken in health sector. Moreover, he said that costly health expenditure was the main reason for health deprivation which was by and large eliminated after launching of the scheme.