A proposed Research Consortium involving Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), AIIMS New Delhi and PGIMER Chandigarh, with support from NITI Aayog, emerged as a key outcome of the three-day Quaternary Healthcare and Research Summit held at SKICC, Srinagar.
The pilot consortium aims to bring leading public-sector institutions together for collaborative research and innovation to address India’s growing burden of complex diseases, rare conditions and specialised healthcare needs.
The summit, organised by NITI Aayog under the aegis of SKIMS, concluded on Thursday with a call to translate deliberations into action.
At the valedictory session, chief minister Omar Abdullah said quality healthcare is an obligation of the government, but cautioned that the shift towards quaternary care should not weaken primary and secondary healthcare. He said the fourth tier should reduce pressure on tertiary institutions and be judged by whether it improves access and decongests existing facilities.
He underlined J&K’s skilled human resources while acknowledging financial constraints in expanding advanced infrastructure. Recalling the vision behind SKIMS, he said it was created to bring advanced care closer to the people and hoped the summit would provide a practical pathway for a fourth tier in J&K.
Director SKIMS, professor Mohammad Ashraf Ganie, said the recommendations would be consolidated into an actionable white paper to provide a roadmap for implementation. Deliberations covered structured referral systems, digital governance, artificial intelligence and advanced clinical services.
{{/usCountry}}Director SKIMS, professor Mohammad Ashraf Ganie, said the recommendations would be consolidated into an actionable white paper to provide a roadmap for implementation. Deliberations covered structured referral systems, digital governance, artificial intelligence and advanced clinical services.
{{/usCountry}}“The consortium will enable institutions to pool expertise and accelerate multidisciplinary research. He highlighted SKIMS’ progress in fund utilisation, infrastructure augmentation and expansion of complex procedures,” he said adding that another key recommendation concerns organ donation and transplantation. With support from SOTTO and NOTTO, an actionable blueprint is being developed to strengthen the ecosystem.
The summit concluded that quaternary care cannot be an isolated layer but must be supported by strong primary care, efficient referral networks and specialised institutions that integrate clinical excellence with research and innovation, aligned with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.