Srinagar, August 27: Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, announced on Wednesday that it is time for India to advance from tertiary healthcare to adopting quaternary-level treatment.
Speaking at the Quaternary Healthcare and Research Summit in Srinagar, Sinha emphasized that this initiative marks a significant turning point in the healthcare journey of Jammu and Kashmir and India, where advanced treatment and research should be accessible to all citizens.
Reflecting on his visit to Akhnoor during the ‘Back to Village’ program in 2020, he recalled discussions with doctors who highlighted the need for modern equipment to diagnose rare diseases.
He pointed out the gap between the healthcare available at smaller district hospitals and the actual healthcare needed, stating that bridging this gap is a national priority.
The Lieutenant Governor praised India’s progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, which includes free treatment for over 560 million citizens, an annual vaccination campaign for 70 million children, and telemedicine care for 370 million people through e-Sanjeevani.
He mentioned the expansion of healthcare infrastructure, which includes 23 AIIMS, 2,045 medical colleges, two AIIMS in Jammu and Kashmir, ten medical colleges, two state cancer institutes, a bone and joint hospital, a pediatric hospital, 52 nursing colleges, 23 paramedical colleges, and five pharmacy colleges.
Sinha stated that these figures indicate India’s success in enhancing primary, secondary, and tertiary care. However, he stressed that it is now time to transform tertiary hospitals into quaternary centers.
He urged hospitals to evolve into research institutions capable of performing organ transplantation, robotic and precision surgeries, advanced genomics, cellular therapy, and AI-supported diagnostics. He called for annual budget allocations for specialized infrastructure, including modern operating theaters and proton-beam therapy facilities.
Additionally, he proposed creating a new corridor that connects district hospitals and tertiary centers directly with quaternary-care institutions, incorporating telemedicine and AI-based diagnostic tools. He also advocated for increasing fellowship and training opportunities in organ transplantation, oncology, genomics, and critical care.
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