rki.news
Altaf Hamid Rao
MIRPUR (AJK), April 22: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has achieved a major milestone in its healthcare sector with the establishment of the first-ever dedicated Burn Care Center in the region at the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Kotli.
The facility has been constructed by the internationally recognized Kashmiri NGO Kashmir Orphan Relief Trust (KORT) on a self-help basis without any financial burden on the AJK government exchequer, marking a significant achievement in public-private collaboration.
According to a spokesperson of KORT, the 20-bed specialized burn unit is among the most advanced facilities of its kind in the country. Completed over three years, the center has been strategically established in Kotli due to its proximity to the Line of Control (LoC), where districts including Nakyal, Hajira, Poonch, and Haveli frequently experience burn-related emergencies and require urgent medical intervention.
The center is designed to provide immediate, life-saving treatment, reducing the need for long-distance patient transfers and improving survival outcomes for critical burn victims across the region.
A formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between KORT and the Government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir to ensure operational sustainability. Under the agreement, the government will provide medical staff and manage recurring operational costs, while the facility will function as an allied department of DHQ Hospital Kotli.
Beyond burn treatment, KORT has also announced plans to introduce a specialized skin and reconstructive treatment unit within the same facility, aiming to expand comprehensive care services in the future.
The project reflects KORT’s broader mission of strengthening healthcare, education, and welfare services for vulnerable communities in Kashmir. The initiative is expected to significantly reduce mortality rates from burn injuries and improve emergency response capacity in remote border areas of the region.