The Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo today presided over a meeting to review comprehensively the standards and quality of nursing education in the Union Territory with a focus on the fact that nursing is the backbone of the healthcare delivery system.
It was presided over by Secretary, Health & Medical Education; Principals of GMC Jammu and Srinagar; Chairperson, J&K Allied & Healthcare Council (A&HCC); Registrar, J&K Nursing Council; Principals of Nursing Colleges, and other senior officers.
In the course of the review, the Chief Secretary assessed the operations of newly opened Nursing Colleges in various districts, the scope of courses offered and student enrolment. He instructed that diploma-level courses be increasingly upgraded into degree and postgraduate studies to develop sophisticated capacities in the nursing field.
He also directed early completion and operationalisation of Nursing Colleges at Sopore, Kulgam, Shopian, and Budgam, along with feasibility of opening such colleges at some left-out districts. The Chief Secretary also emphasized phasing out redundant courses with no significant contribution towards patient care, and the introduction of new courses in response to emerging healthcare requirements.
In a review of the working of the newly formed J&K State Allied & Healthcare Council (SA&HC), the Chief Secretary ordered that it be further developed with sufficient manpower and stringent monitoring systems, as per the National Commission for Allied & Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) guidelines and checklists of institutional preparedness.
Reaffirming the commitment of the Government, Chief Secretary reiterated that it is crucial to improve nursing education and allied healthcare systems to boost patient care, address the increasing demands on healthcare, and develop a skilled workforce to serve the people of J&K.
Apart from this, Chief Secretary presided over an inter-department coordination meeting to discuss the holistic action plan on food safety in the Union Territory.
The review is in the wake of recent raids on spurious meat and milk products in various regions of the UT, which has raised serious doubts regarding food adulteration and public safety.
The meeting was held with the presence of Commissioner Secretary, FCS&CA; Commissioner Secretary, H&UDD; Secretary, H&ME; Divisional Commissioner, Jammu/Kashmir; Secretary, Law; Commissioner, FSD; Director, FCS&CA, Jammu/Kashmir; DG, Budget; DirectorHealth, Jammu/Kashmir along with other senior officers.
During the deliberation, the Chief Secretary instructed the Food and Civil Supplies Department to act strictly against unlabelled and non-standard packaged foodstuffs, especially imported foods that are not marking ingredients and product details, calling such acts blatant disregard for law.
He underwent a critical assessment of the action plan drafted by the Food Safety Wing in liaison with important departments, such as Housing & Urban Development, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and District Administration. The plan details immediate as well as long-term steps for eliminating the entry of substandard food products into J&K and enforcing stringent adherence to food safety standards.
Chief Secretary asserted that proper inter-departmental coordination would be the backbone of this initiative. He instructed all concerned departments to operate in close coordination with each other so that only safe, hygienic, and quality food is available in the market
