Srinagar: The Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, has received approval from the National Medical Commission (NMC) to launch the DM Critical Care Medicine program, with an initial intake of two seats for the 2024-25 academic session.
Announcing the program, SKIMS Director Prof. M. Ashraf Ganie hailed it as a significant achievement for the institute. He highlighted that SKIMS’s Department of Critical Care Medicine is the only separate and approved department in the Union Territory, providing care for critically ill patients referred from major hospitals across Jammu and Kashmir and national institutions.
Prof. Ganie emphasized that the department is equipped with advanced ventilators and life-saving systems and operates at full bed occupancy, underscoring the urgent need for additional critical care facilities. He advocated for the establishment of a 200-bed Critical Care Block at SKIMS and stressed the necessity of increasing critical care beds across the UT of J&K.
“The administration will work on a detailed proposal for the 200-bed Critical Care Block and submit it to the government for approval,” he added.
Dean of Medical Faculty at SKIMS, Prof. Shariq R. Masoodi, expressed joy over the NMC’s approval, stating that the program will significantly enhance the quality of care provided to critically ill patients.
Dr. Mohamad Akbar Shah, Head of the Department of Critical Care Medicine, extended gratitude to Director Prof. Ganie, Dean Prof. Shariq Masoodi, Head of the NMC Section Prof. Fazal Q. Parray, and other officials, including the Additional Director, Medical Superintendent, and Academic Registrar, for their efforts in making this milestone a reality.
