Authorities at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Soura have miserably failed to operationalize ‘liver transplant unit’ which was sanctioned so that patients from state particularly from Kashmir Valley need not to visit outside for liver transplantation. A group of Doctors at SKIMS told news agency CNS that Liver Transplant Unit was approved for SKIMS in 2013 and since then nothing has been done to make this life saving unit functional.They said that it is painful to see salvageable liver failure patients dying due to lack of liver transplant facility which has been hanging in limbo. “Governing body of SKIMS in its 40th meeting sanctioned the yearly grant of Rupees one crore for placement of trained staff to kick-start liver transplant unit. But SKIMS authorities showed no interest to start the unit and no infrastructure was put in place and no staff was trained. It is ironical that the space which was designated for liver transplant unit has been converted into chambers for consultants.
Even the services of two trained liver transplant surgeons have not been utilized and one of them has submitted his resignation as his skill was wasted,” the doctors said.“The issue of liver transplant is not being even discussed at any platform and SKIMS authorities seem to be unwilling to start the unit.Despite legal and religious support for organ donation, except for some cosmetic measures, no serious efforts were made to generate awareness among people to encourage them for organ donation which is central to liver transplantation.”“Patients with liver failure and end-stage liver disease are on rise in Kashmir and the only viable option for them is liver transplantation.Liver transplant is the replacement of a diseased liver with some or all of a healthy liver from a live or a cadaveric (brain dead) donor.The availability of liver transplantation has transformed the lives of patients with advanced liver disease, but in Kashmir they continue to be in despair and seem to have no hope of survival.” (CNS)