SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday emphasized that extending world-class medical facilities to every citizen is a fundamental duty of the government. He articulated the need for an integrated healthcare framework that harmonizes cutting-edge quaternary medical developments with the widespread revitalization of primary and secondary care facilities across Jammu and Kashmir.

Delivering the valedictory address at the Quaternary Healthcare & Research Summit: 4th J&K Medical Conference-2026 held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), the Chief Minister remarked that although transitioning tertiary institutions into quaternary centers enhances specialized capability, it cannot yield real dividends without fixing structural weaknesses at the grassroots level.

Decongesting Apex Centers by Fixing Foundational Deficits

Drawing attention to ground realities, Omar Abdullah pointed out that premier institutions like the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) are apex referral centers meant for advanced and complex interventions. However, gaps at primary and community health centers force these institutes to handle routine general procedures—such as uncomplicated appendicitis or gallbladder surgeries—placing undue strain on specialized resources.

“This undermines the entire tiered healthcare architecture consisting of primary, secondary, and tertiary layers. To make quaternary facilities truly effective, our primary and secondary healthcare foundation must be exceptionally strong,” he asserted.

Bridging the Urban-Rural Divide

The Chief Minister underlined the administration’s determination to guarantee equitable medical delivery beyond the capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar, noting that rural inhabitants deserve reliable, high-standard primary medical attention close to home.

• Rural Access Over Urban Concentration: Ensuring quality baseline medical services across rural districts so citizens are not compelled to travel to urban epicenters for fundamental ailments.
• Stemming Medical Outflow: Strengthening local capacity so patients across J&K no longer have to endure exhausting and expensive journeys to other states for complex clinical care.
• Actionable Roadmaps: Urging clinicians, administrators, and NITI Aayog partners to convert summit discussions into tangible administrative and clinical actions on the ground.

World-Class Human Capital and ‘Reverse Brain Drain’

Praising the caliber of the medical community in Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah remarked that local doctors, nurses, and paramedical personnel are globally competitive and holding premier positions worldwide, notably in the Middle East and Gulf region.

He underscored that adequate infrastructure is critical to retaining top-tier talent and fostering conditions to attract overseas professionals back home. “Instead of exporting our finest medical minds due to infrastructure deficits, we must build world-class facilities here to trigger a reverse brain drain and welcome our professionals back to serve their own people,” he urged.

Summit Deliberations and Publications Released

The three-day high-level summit (August 25–27) was organized by SKIMS Soura under the aegis of NITI Aayog, Government of India, in strategic collaboration with AIIMS New Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh, AIIMS Jammu, and AIIMS Awantipora, under the central theme: “Scaling Tertiary into Quaternary Healthcare: A National Strategy for Advanced Care.”

On the occasion, the Chief Minister officially unveiled the specialized publication “Platinum Pearls in General Surgery Super Specialities” along with the commemorative souvenir “SKIMS Journey of Transformation.” He also felicitated nine exceptional young winners across the Quiz Competition, Oral Presentation, and Poster Presentation segments.