Jammu, Feb. 19 -- The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday said 219 ventilators are lying defunct in 10 government medical colleges and the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences across the Union Territory.

In a written reply to a starred question raised by MLA Shamim Firdous in the Assembly, Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo provided hospital-wise details of functional and defunct ventilators in government medical colleges (GMCs), associated hospitals and other major health institutions, including SKIMS.

Out of a total of 877 ventilators, 658 are functional while 219 are defunct, the official data said.

According to the data tabled in the House, GMC Jammu and its associated hospitals have a total of 320 venti...