Srinagar: Extending his "healing touch" to the state's health sector, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on September 28 said his government would formulate a comprehensive policy to ensure supply of quality medicines to the people and fix norms for involvement of private sector in health care.

Such a policy has become imperative to ensure that the people get standard medicines and best possible medicare, Mufti said inaugurating a two-day Medicine Update-2003, a national conference on medicines in Srinagar.

Observing silence on banning private practice by government doctors, he, however, said commercialization of the medical profession by indulging in extensive private practice diverted the doctors' focus on these services.

He said government's focus has to be on state-run hospitals by ensuring best treatment facilities to restore credibility and confidence of people in these public institutions.

The Chief Minister called for promoting Indian system of medicines along with Allopathic system as the people still have considerable faith in the traditional methods of treatment.

Terming the participation of leading doctors in the conference as an investment in peace, Mufti said their coming to the valley would in fact help in the normalization process.

He urged them to help in changing the mindset of the people in the country about situation in Kashmir and asserted that it was as normal as elsewhere. Tell them that militants are not sitting on the roadside with guns as they probably think, he said amidst laughter.

PTI