No Proposal for Maternity Hospital in Pulwama: Sakina Masood Itoo

Written by Medical Dialogues Team Published On 2025-03-08T09:45:25+05:30 | Updated On 8 March 2025 9:45 AM IST

Pulwama: During a legislative assembly session, MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Para from Pulwama raised a question regarding the construction of a 100-bed maternity hospital in Sirnoo village, Pulwama district, South Kashmir. In response, the Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakina Masood Itoo, clarified that there is no proposal for such a hospital at present.

Health Minister Itoo stated that maternal healthcare services for the people of Pulwama, including Sirnoo, are being provided at the District Hospital in Pulwama. She noted that, currently, there are no plans for a separate maternity hospital.

The minister further explained that the government's current focus is on strengthening and consolidating the existing healthcare infrastructure rather than building new facilities. Itoo also mentioned that Jammu and Kashmir is home to around 4,000 healthcare institutions across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.

According to a report by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the region is performing better than the national average in terms of healthcare accessibility. The report states that Jammu and Kashmir have one healthcare institution for every 3,500 people, compared to the national average of one for every 6,000 people.

The health minister added that any future upgrades or new projects in the healthcare sector would be dependent on various factors, including population density, existing healthcare infrastructure, proximity to other healthcare facilities, and compliance with the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) norms for 2022.

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According to Rising Kashmir, the health minister said, “Furthermore, a recent Finance Department order (10-F of 2025, dated January 11, 2025) has restricted the creation of new posts, limiting the scope for expanding health services through new constructions.

To improve healthcare services, the government has conceptualized a plan to strengthen the existing health infrastructure through rationalization of manpower, resource sharing, and digital healthcare initiatives. This includes the expansion of e-Sanjeevani and telemedicine facilities, using a hub-and-spoke model to enhance accessibility.”

The 100-bed maternity hospital in Sirnoo village has been a long-standing concern for local residents. According to reports, around 2018-19, several canals of state land on the outskirts of Sirnoo village were designated for the proposed hospital, and a signboard was even installed at the site to mark the location. Speaking to Rising Kashmir, an aged resident of Sirnoo said that a road to the site was also opened by the then-deputy commissioner Pulwama.

Also Read: 300-bedded hospital spanning over 25 acres to come up in Jharkhand

However, the project has seen no progress over the past six years, leading to growing concerns and frustrations among the local community. Following this, MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Para raised the issue in the legislative assembly, seeking clarification from the government on whether the proposal for the maternity hospital was still pending approval or if there were any plans to revive the project soon.

Maternity HospitalJammu and Kashmir governmentSakina Masood Itoodistrict hospital

Medical Dialogues Team