Reacting to non-functioning of PET scanner in SKIMS, which has increased the miseries and suffering of cancer patients, Doctors Association Kashmir has demanded for separate state of art Cancer Hospital in Kashmir.According to a statement issued to KNO, DAK president Dr Suhail Naik said the lack of expertise and absence of radiation safety measures at the said hospital has led Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) to cancel the use and procurement license of Nuclear Medicine Department of SKIMS for radioactive isotopes.Dr Naik said that the number of cancer patients is increasing and as per Indian Council Medical Research (ICMR), the burden of cancer in Kashmir has rose to 20 thousand cases per year. "The cancer is affecting people like an epidemic and situation is made worse by lack of separate cancer hospital in Kashmir. Today cancer is leading cause of death and it is imperative that treatment facilities should be available to all cancer patients in a separate state of art cancer institution," Dr Naik added.He said it is not possible to install and maintain the latest technologies and gadgetry without upgrading hospital infrastructure and Technical human resources. "We demand for a cancer hospital with refined onco-surgeons, determined oncologists, astute radiotherapists, infection disease specialists and Radiological interventionists.
This becomes important and exigent given the increasing prevalence and incidence of Cancers in the Valley," Dr Naik said."Kashmir Valley is in dire need of separate State of the Art Cancer Hospital i.e, a Cancer Hospital with a state of art infrastructure, gadgetry and Technical human resources and all the diagnostics including a PET scan and therapeutics," said General Secretary DAK, Dr Owais H Dar.He further added that it is high time to provide people high-end health facilities under single roof. “The medical science has evolved with such a pace that it has already touched the sky-high success in the last decade. But it is unfortunate that still people of our state are suffering due to failure of government to construct a separate cancer hospital."“Depriving poor patients of evidence-based established health protocols and interventions within the prescribed time period is gross human rights violation,” he said. He said a good number of super specialists, who have the potential to start cancer institution are scattered and working in rural healthcare.Dr Mir Mushtaq, Senior executive member of DAK said that health is fundamental right of people and It is now time to have a one-roof facility to give people high-end health facilities in a separate hospital. Dr Mir added that by constructing a separate cancer hospital, patients will get all diagnostic and therapeutic interventions within the golden period and will be successful in potentially saving precious lives.(KNO)