Jammu,
Governor NN Vohra, chairman of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, along with other members held extensive discussion with Dr Devi Shetty, founder and chairman, Narayana Health, here today.

The shrine board has collaborated with Narayana Health for running the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Kakryal, and reviewing the functioning of this tertiary care hospital. The Governor had invited Dr Shetty to Kakryal for an on-the-spot discussion about the outstanding issues regarding the growth of the hospital.

The meeting expressed satisfaction over the functioning of the hospital in the past 19 months. It was noted that the number of patients availing tertiary medical care at the Kakryal hospital had grown manifold and, keeping this in view, the need had been felt to further strengthen, expand and upgrade the facilities at the hospital to meet the emerging requirements of the pilgrims, people of the adjoining areas, the state and the northern region, developing it as a centre that provides excellent patient care.

The Governor emphasised the need for the deployment of more doctors and other staff and, side by side, ensuring that reputed consultants from various Narayana Health Hospitals in the country visit the Kakryal hospital on a regular basis to facilitate specialised treatment.

Referring to the PET CT facility at the Kakryal hospital, the Governor underscored the crucial need for expeditiously commissioning this facility for the benefit of the people. This facility, not presently available elsewhere in the region, will inter alia, immensely help in the early diagnosis of cancer.

Dr Shetty assured the Governor that reputed consultants from various Narayana Health Hospitals would be regularly visiting the Kakryal hospital. “A comprehensive schedule of visits will be drawn and notified well in advance so that maximum number of patients can benefit from their services,” Dr Shetty said.

Other matters that came up for discussion in the meeting included functioning of Jammu OPD run by the Kakryal hospital, establishment of OPD-cum-information centre by Narayana Health at Srinagar, setting up of a daycare facility by the hospital at Jammu to facilitate the people and to date status of empanelment of the hospital with various Central organisations, etc.