J&K Health Minister Outlines Infrastructure Priorities; ₹23.75 Crore Critical Care Block Underway in Kupwara
JAMMU — February 09, 2026:-During the ongoing Budget Session 2026, Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to modernizing healthcare infrastructure, particularly within rural and peripheral regions.
Responding to a query from Legislator Mir Mohammad Fayaz during Question Hour, the Minister highlighted that the District Hospital in Kupwara has already been elevated to an Associated Hospital of GMC Handwara, providing essential tertiary care to the local population.
She clarified that while Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) do not currently provide for a “Super-Speciality” status for district hospitals, the administration is aggressively expanding the capacity of existing facilities to meet growing medical demands.
A significant component of this expansion includes the construction of a 50-bedded Critical Care Block (CCB) at Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Kupwara, a project valued at approximately ₹23.75 crore under the ECRP-II framework. Additionally, the district is benefiting from the PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), which is funding the establishment of a District Integrated Public Health Laboratory (DIPHL) and multiple Block Public Health Units (BPHUs).
These initiatives aim to decentralize high-quality diagnostic and emergency services, ensuring that residents in geographically challenging areas do not have to travel long distances for critical medical interventions.
To ensure these physical upgrades are matched by service quality, Minister Itoo detailed a comprehensive plan for human resource management and technological integration. The department is currently undertaking a rationalization process to redistribute medical and para-medical staff based on patient inflow, alongside a policy of periodic transfers for long-posted personnel.
Furthermore, the government is leaning into digital health through the “hub-and-spoke” model of e-Sanjeevani and tele-medicine facilities. By enforcing strict National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) and preparing Mobile Medical Units for hard-to-reach zones, the Health Department aims to provide rural citizens with a standard of care traditionally reserved for urban centers.