Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Mar 21: Patients across Kashmir are expressing outrage over the non-functioning endoscope at the Super Speciality Hospital (SSH), an associated hospital of Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar.
According to patients, the endoscope at SSH Srinagar developed a snag on March 12, but authorities have yet to rectify the issue.
Owais Ahmad, an attendant from Pulwama, said his mother was scheduled for an endoscopy and fibro scan, but only the fibro scan was conducted, while they were still waiting for the endoscopy.
“If this is the state of maintenance at a super speciality hospital, one can only imagine the condition of secondary and primary health institutions,” he said.
Owais added that scores of poor patients who travel from remote areas for endoscopy have been left in distress, as they are forced to return home without the procedure due to the non-functional endoscope for the past 10 days.
Arshid Ahmad, a patient from Srinagar, said, “Doctors at SSH advised me to undergo an endoscopy for my gastro issues. However, when I arrived, I was told the endoscope was defunct. I had no option but to get the test done at a private facility.”
Many patients said that repeated requests to authorities over the past 10 days have yielded no action. They fear that if GMC Srinagar fails to address the issue promptly, underprivileged patients will continue to suffer.
Seeking urgent intervention, they have appealed to Health Minister Sakina Itoo and Principal GMC Srinagar to take immediate action.
Meanwhile, an official from the Gastroenterology Department at SSH Srinagar confirmed to KNO that the endoscope has been out of order since March 12 and, surprisingly, “will not be repaired”. However, the official did not disclose the reason behind this decision.
Another official said higher authorities have been informed, and they are hopeful that positive steps will be taken soon.
