Srinagar, 18 October (H.S.): Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today inaugurated the two-day National Conference on Patient Safety (NCPS-2025) at Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), organized by Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura. The theme of the conference is “Every Error a Lesson, Every Lesson a Safer Care.”

In his inaugural address, the Chief Minister expressed hope that such conferences will generate clear recommendations for the government to implement across health institutions in Jammu and Kashmir, thereby ensuring better healthcare and patient safety standards.

“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,” Omar Abdullah said.

He emphasized that while patient care and patient safety are closely connected, they are distinct aspects of healthcare. “Patient care is about how we treat the disease—diagnosis, treatment, and empathy for the patient. On the other hand patient safety would mean taking every precaution to avoid errors that can endanger life. A treatment cannot be considered good unless both are ensured,” he added.

Highlighting the purpose of the conference, the Chief Minister said the deliberations should not remain limited to academic discussions but translate into practical measures that can be replicated in hospitals across Jammu and Kashmir. “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 remarked.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah released the Souvenir of NCPS-2025 and Annual Appraisal Report 2024–25 of SKIMS on the occasion.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar