A new 20-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU), built at a cost of ₹2.5 crore under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, now treats an average of 18 critical patients daily at Government Medical College (GMC) Rajouri. This unit, dedicated on January 15, 2025, directly addresses the previous necessity for referring severe trauma cases 140 kilometers to Srinagar.
The upgrades are part of a specific ₹4.2 crore infrastructure boost sanctioned for GMC Rajouri in the 2023-24 central budget. Principal Dr. Meena Sharma confirmed the funds were allocated under the hospital’s creation/strengthening component of Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). “The new ICU has already reduced referrals by 40% for cardiac and neuro emergencies from our district,” Dr. Sharma stated in a March 20 interview.
New MRI Machine Cuts Diagnostic Wait Times
A 1.5 Tesla MRI machine, purchased for ₹1.8 crore, became operational on February 10, 2025. Before its installation, patients from Rajouri and Poonch districts faced waits exceeding 45 days for scans at private facilities in Jammu, costing ₹8,000-12,000 per test. The hospital now conducts 25-30 free or subsidized MRI scans weekly for PM-JAY cardholders and local residents.
Dialysis Unit Adds 3 Machines, Serves 60 Patients Daily
Three new haemodialysis machines, costing ₹90 lakhs total, were installed in the medicine ward in December 2024. This expansion increased the hospital’s total dialysis capacity to 15 machines. The unit, currently managing 60 chronic kidney disease patients, operates in two shifts from 8 AM to 8 PM. Technician Bashir Ahmed noted the machines were procured under the “Health Infrastructure” vertical of Ayushman Bharat, separate from the insurance claim arm.
These projects target a clear deficit. The 300-bed GMC Rajouri, serving an estimated 800,000 people across Rajouri and Poonch, last saw a major equipment upgrade in 2018. The district’s per capita public health expenditure trailed the Jammu & Kashmir average by 18% in 2022, according to state health department data reviewed by this publication.
The funding mechanism is specific: the central government’s National Health Mission released the ₹4.2 crore in two tranches—₹2.7 crore in October 2023 and ₹1.5 crore in August 2024. The Jammu & Kashmir administration executed the tenders, with the PWD completing civil work for the ICU by November 2024. All equipment carries a five-year comprehensive maintenance contract, a mandatory Ayushman Bharat procurement clause.
But the upgrade’s success hinges on human resources. GMC Rajouri currently has 12 vacant senior resident posts in critical care. The hospital administration submitted a requisition for 8 additional nurses and 4 technicians to the Jammu & Kashmir Health & Medical Education Department on March 5, 2025. Dr. Sharma acknowledged, “Without filling these posts, the new infrastructure’s full potential won’t be realized.”
The impact is measured in reduced out-of-pocket expenditure. For a standard dialysis session, a patient previously spent ₹4,500 at a private clinic in Jammu. Now, the same treatment at GMC Rajouri is free under PM-JAY or costs ₹200 for non-card holders. For an MRI, savings average ₹10,000 per scan. This aligns with Ayushman Bharat’s core objective: mitigating financial hardship.
Monitoring continues. A four-member committee from the Union Health Ministry is scheduled to inspect the new facilities on April 20, 2025. Their report will determine the release of a proposed second-phase grant of ₹6 crore, earmarked for a new 50-bed Mother & Child healthcare block next to the upgraded emergency ward.
These physical upgrades represent a tactical shift for Ayushman Bharat. While PM-JAY is widely known for its insurance claims—processing over 70,000 annually in Rajouri district alone—this project showcases the scheme’s lesser-publicized infrastructure pillar. It directly strengthens the “public health institution” that ultimately serves the scheme’s beneficiaries.
The timeline is precise. Civil work for the ICU began March 1, 2024, and finished November 30, 2024. Equipment arrived in December 2024. Training for 35 staff nurses on new ventilators and monitors concluded on January 5, 2025. The first patient was admitted to the ICU at 10:15 AM on January 15, 2025. These dates are logged in the hospital’s project dashboard, accessible via the Jammu & Kashmir health portal.
For residents like Farooq Ahmed of Darhal, the change is tangible. “My father received a stroke. The MRI was done here within two days last month. Earlier, we would have sold land to pay for a Jammu trip,” he said. His family utilized a PM-JAY card, covering the ₹1.2 lakh total treatment cost, including the new ICU stay.
The GMC Rajouri upgrade is one of 47 similar hospital strengthening projects approved in Jammu & Kashmir under Ayushman Bharat’s 2023-24 infrastructure budget. It reflects a targeted approach, focusing on secondary-care hubs in remote districts. The true test will be sustained operational efficiency and filling vacant posts—details that will be scrutinized in the April 20 inspection report.
