Srinagar, Dec 9 (IANS): In a bid to strengthen the healthcare profile of Jammu and Kashmir, the State Health Agency (SHA) has empanelled 12 new private hospitals in the Union Rerritory in a short span of past three months, officials said on Thursday.

This addition of healthcare institutes in J&K is a step forward towards further expanding and building a strong network of hospitals and service capabilities in the Union Territory, the officials said.

The SHA is working towards streamlining medicare in the UT to ensure cashless service delivery to the beneficiaries under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana- SEHAT.

The scheme provides health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year to all the residents of the UT including serving and retired employees.

The new empanelled private hospitals included Khanams Hospital Srinagar, Kashmir Athrout Srinagar, Safa Marwa Medical Centre Srinagar, Tehqeeq Diagnostic and Dialysis Centre Srinagar, My Healthcare Anantnag, Hakeem Sonaullah Hospital Sopore Baramulla, Guru Hospital Sopore, Baramulla, Raksha Kidney Centre Jammu, Yudvir Nursing Home Jammu, Ankur Maitrika Jammu, Baba Nanak Medicity Jammu and New Life Hospital Samba.

Chief Executive Officer, AB-PMJAY, Yasin M. Choudhary, while giving details in this regard said that Governing Council of SHA recently approved the migration on Health Benefit Package (HBP 2.2) issued by National Health Authority wherein rates of various packages have been enhanced. This will suffice the long pending demand of private hospitals for enhancing the package rates and will boost the sustainability of private sector.