Jammu, Feb 18: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday revealed that 219 ventilators are non-functional across 10 government medical colleges (GMCs) and the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in the Union Territory.
In a written reply to a starred question by MLA Shamim Firdous in the Assembly, Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo provided detailed data on functional and defunct ventilators at GMCs, associated hospitals, and major health institutions, including SKIMS.
Out of 877 ventilators in the UT, 658 are operational while 219 remain non-functional.
GMC Jammu and its associated hospitals have 320 ventilators, with 209 functional and 111 defunct.
GMC Srinagar’s SMHS Hospital has 76 ventilators, 68 working and 8 non-functional; other associated hospitals have 173 ventilators, including 44 that are not operational.
GMC Anantnag reports only 10 functional ventilators out of 36, leaving 26 defunct.
GMC Baramulla has 2 non-functional ventilators out of 41, while GMC Doda has 10 out of 27 not working.
GMC Kathua reported 2 non-functional ventilators from 52, GMC Rajouri has 3 out of 54, and GMC Udhampur along with GMC Handwara reported all their ventilators as operational.
At SKIMS, Soura, 13 of 53 ventilators are non-functional.
The data highlights the urgent need for maintenance and upgrades to ensure uninterrupted critical care support across healthcare facilities in Jammu and Kashmir.