Jammu : Poonch District Receives Prestigious SKOCH Award in Delhi for AB PMJAY SEHAT Initiative , CMO Dr. Parvaiz Ahmed Khan Att

Jammu/Poonch/ News Udaan / , In a landmark achievement for the Health Department, Poonch district's Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PMJAY) SEHAT initiative has been honoured with the prestigious SKOCH Award in New Delhi, recognising its outstanding contribution towards ensuring accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare for the people.

Poonch emerged as the only district from the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, and among the few districts across the country, to receive this prestigious national recognition for excellence in the implementation of the AB PMJAY SEHAT scheme.

The award acknowledges the district's exceptional performance in implementing the flagship health insurance programme by expanding healthcare access, ensuring quality cashless treatment for eligible beneficiaries, strengthening service delivery, and achieving remarkable beneficiary outreach, particularly in remote and border areas.

The achievement was accomplished under the dynamic leadership of Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Parvaiz Ahmed Khan, with the guidance of Ms. Akriti Sagar, IAS, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Jammu & Kashmir; Sh. Ashok Kumar Sharma, JKAS, Deputy Commissioner, Poonch; and Dr. Poonam Sethi, Director Health Services, Jammu.

Their collective efforts have helped establish Poonch as a model district in the implementation of national health programmes.

Dr. Parvaiz Ahmed Khan has been widely appreciated for his proactive and field-oriented leadership.

Through regular surprise inspections, close monitoring of health institutions, capacity building of healthcare professionals, and focused implementation of public health initiatives, he has significantly strengthened the district's healthcare system and ensured that the benefits of AB PMJAY SEHAT reach every eligible household.

The recognition also reflects the Health Department's exemplary response during Operation Sindoor, when Poonch witnessed intense cross-border shelling.

Under the leadership of Dr. Parvaiz Ahmed Khan, doctors, paramedics, ambulance teams, and frontline health workers worked tirelessly round the clock to provide emergency medical care, evacuate the injured, maintain uninterrupted health services, and save numerous lives under extremely challenging conditions.

In recognition of his outstanding humanitarian service and leadership during the operation, Dr. Khan was felicitated in 2025.

Coinciding with the occasion, Dr. Parvaiz Ahmed Khan participated in the 108th SKOCH Summit – Public Policy Forum held at the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), New Delhi, on the theme "Regulatory Framework for Viksit Bharat." The prestigious summit brought together senior policymakers, legal experts, economists, academicians, and governance specialists from across the country to deliberate on regulatory reforms, digital governance, institutional strengthening, innovation, ease of doing business, and citizen-centric governance required to achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

The summit featured eminent speakers, including Dr. Shekhar Aiyar, Director and CEO of ICRIER; Prof. Sachin Kumar Sharma and Dr. Manoj Kumar, Additional Secretaries in the Ministry of Law & Justice; Prof. Subhomoy Bhattacharjee, Consulting Editor, Business Standard; Mr. Pradeep S. Mehta, Secretary General, CUTS International; Dr. Raghavender GR, Senior Consultant (IPR), DPIIT; Mr. Dilip Chenoy, Chairperson, Bharat Web3 Association; and Ms. Tasmita Sengupta, Senior Research Associate, CUTS International.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Parvaiz Ahmed Khan said that participation in such national policy forums enables district-level administrators to align local healthcare initiatives with the broader vision of Viksit Bharat.

He added that the knowledge and policy insights gained during the summit would further strengthen healthcare delivery, improve implementation of flagship health schemes, and enhance public service delivery in remote and border districts like Poonch.

Dr. Khan dedicated the prestigious recognition to the entire team of doctors, specialists, paramedics, ASHA workers, health officials, and support staff whose dedication and collective efforts have contributed to the district's remarkable achievements in public healthcare.

The SKOCH Award and participation in the 108th SKOCH Summit reaffirm the commitment of the District Health Administration, Poonch, and the Jammu & Kashmir Health Department towards innovation, good governance, continuous learning, and ensuring quality healthcare for every citizen.

Report.....Anil Bhardwaj