CM Omar Inaugurates National Conference on Patient Safety at SKICC

SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today inaugurated the two-day National Conference on Patient Safety (NCPS-2025) at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), organised by Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura.

The conference, themed “Every Error a Lesson, Every Lesson a Safer Care,” aims to enhance patient safety standards across healthcare institutions in Jammu Kashmir.

In his inaugural address, the Chief Minister emphasised the importance of translating conference deliberations into actionable measures. “Through this conference, I hope actionable points emerge which the government can adopt in both major and smaller hospitals, ensuring that patient safety becomes as much a focus as patient care,” he said. He distinguished patient care from patient safety, noting that while care involves diagnosis, treatment, and empathy, safety requires precautions to prevent errors that could endanger lives.

Omar Abdullah underscored the need for practical implementation of best practices from across the country. “The biggest benefit of such conferences is that we can learn from the best practices of others and adopt them to our own unique circumstances,” he said. He also released the NCPS-2025 Souvenir and the SKIMS Annual Appraisal Report 2024–25.

Addressing the gathering, Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo lauded SKIMS as a premier medical institution and highlighted the government’s commitment to equipping health facilities with modern infrastructure to reduce the need for patients to travel outside the Union Territory for treatment. She emphasised the importance of behavioural change among doctors and public awareness to foster a stronger doctor-patient relationship based on trust.

Advisor to the Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani, praised SKIMS for its focus on patient care and safety, describing it as a trusted institution in the region. He highlighted the institute’s role in producing specialist doctors who contribute to healthcare nationally and internationally.

The inaugural session also featured addresses by Secretary Health and Medical Education Dr Abid Rashid, Director SKIMS Prof M Ashraf Ganie, Head of Hospital Administration Prof. GH Yatoo, and founder Director SKIMS Dr AK Nagpal.

The conference is attended by faculty members, senior doctors, researchers, scholars, and delegates from across the country. Several MLAs, former directors of SKIMS, Director SKICC Haris Ahmad Handoo, administrative officers, and senior SKIMS faculty were also present, reflecting the high-level participation and significance of the event.