Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Aug 2: Hundreds of patients from South Kashmir in need of radiotherapy are suffering in absence of radiotherapy facilities at Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag.
Poor attendants are struggling hard to take their patients on daily basis to SKIMS Soura or SMHS for radiotherapy.
Relatives of a 55-year-old cancer patient from Kulgam said that their patients has undergone multiple chemotherapy sessions, however, he is in need of radiotherapy now.
In absence of radiotherapy facilities at GMC, we have to take him for regular radiotherapy for about four weeks, they said, adding that it is not easy to take patient to Soura from Kulgam on daily basis as we belong to financially week family.
Had these facilities available at GMC Anantnag, it would have been very easy, less expensive and arduous task for them, they said.
Other patients and attendants who are forced to go to Srinagar for radiotherapy echoed same concern and said that the number of cancer patients is increasing at an alarming rate and such facilities should have been available at GMC Anantnag
In year 2019 the Department of Oncology was made functional at GMC Srinagar and around 500 cancer patients are registered with GMC Anantnag.
Officials said that despite the approval of 20 bed radiation therapy at GMC Anantnag, it lacks Tele-cobalt and Linear Accelerator (LINAC) machines due to which patients requiring radiotherapy are suffering.
They said that it becomes very difficult for poor patients to come from far off places and visit Srinagar for radiotherapy where such facilities are already overcrowded.
Patients as well as attendant have requested higher ups to look into the matter at an earliest and make such facilities available at GMC Anantnag so that poor patients won’t suffer anymore.
Meanwhile, Principal GMC Anantnag Dr Tariq Qureshi said that right now we have chemo therapy facility only and we have already approved 20 bed for Radiation oncology and rest of the facilities will follow.
