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| Cancer patients die while waiting for surgeries in SKIMS ‘6 died in last few months; Dozens wait for their turn’ | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Srinagar, Mar 24 (KNS): Atleast 130 cancer patients are waiting to die in Valley’s lone tertiary care SK Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) as the lone cancer surgeon at the hospital is unable to operate them in time due to lack of manpower and infrastructure in the newly created Surgical Oncology department.
Hospital records reveal that atleast six patients have already died in the last few months as they couldn’t be operated on time due to long waiting list.
Gudoo Shabnum, a 19 year old girl, (RCC No 2437/10) from Soura here was suffering from cancer on right shoulder. “Amputation of her right arm was done at Jhelum Valley Medical College Hospital by Orthopedic surgeons. However, the surgery was incomplete due to which within days she developed recurrence of tumor,” hospital sources told KNS.
“She needed a specialized treatment by a cancer surgeon which she never received as the lone cancer surgeon at the SKIMS is overburdened with patients,” they said and added Shabnum died while waiting for her turn for surgery.
Similar are cases of Reshi Hajra and Bhat Malla who died of stomach cancer while waiting for their turn to be operated which never came till their death.
Sajjad Ahmad Dar, 10, (RCC No 2062/11) is suffering sarcoma of right arm. He is at serial number 61 in the waiting list for surgery. “He has been operated once and his arm was amputated. However, the surgery wasn’t done by a cancer specialist and instead a general surgeon did the procedure. The cancer has reoccurred as the disease wasn’t cleared from the right axilla,” a senior medico told KNS wishing anonymity.
Sajjad’s mother Saleema Begum has been running from pillar to post in the SKIMS to get his son operated. “For God’s sake give me number for surgery this week only. I have four daughters and Sajjad is my only hope. Please save his life,” Saleema pleaded before the doctors in presence of this reporter.
When lone cancer surgeon at the SKIMS, Dr Haji Altaf was asked why he wasn’t giving date for surgery to the patient at the earliest, he replied: “I am helpless as I have more than 100 such cases. I am being provided operation theatre two times a week where I can operate three patients at the most.”
“It will take more than a year to clear the backlog. But by that time God knows how many of these helpless patients will survive. I being a Cancer surgeon am not able to provide the patients with theatres, beds and more cancer surgeons,” the doctor said while pleading his helplessness.
Quoting example of a patient Mehbooba Teli, a 19 year old girl from Pahalgam (Card Number 1111012219), he said, “She was suffering from breast cancer and was operated at a private nursing home. But due to incomplete surgery, residual remained and now she has become inoperable.”
Dr Altaf, who joined the SKIMS last year as Assistant Professor Surgical Oncology, after studying and practicing in the United Kingdom, revealed that dozens of patients have become inoperable because of waiting time. Cancer is increasing day by day and worst hit are South Kashmir areas,” he revealed.
Sources said that Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah had in 2011 asked the administration to fill in six vacancies of cancer surgeons in the SKIMS on fast track. “If fast track recruitment of more cancer surgeons, more operation theatre sessions and beds for cancer patients aren’t provided immediately dozens of patients will die in coming months,” they warned.
As per the government order number 28-SKIMS of 2008 sanction has already been given to fill vacancies of one professor, one additional professor, two associate professors, two assistant professors and two senior residents in the Surgical Oncology department.
Sources said the CM on 26 May 2011 during a meeting held at his office chamber had ordered the Director SKIMS to provide logistics and manpower to the Surgical Oncology department on the urgent basis.
The meeting, besides the CM who is chairman of the Governing Body of the SKIMS, was attended by his Principle Secretary B B Vyas, CM’s Private Secretary Asghar Khan, Director SKIMS Dr Showkat Zarger and Dr Altaf.
The Director SKIMS was asked to advertise all unfilled posts in the same hierarchy as sanctioned in 2008 and make appointments on fast track basis. The SKIMS authorities were also ordered by the CM to provide proper accommodation to the newly created department. “Proper accommodation shall be provided to the department for its future expansion and present requirement. Ward # 2P will remain under control of the department of Surgical Oncology. The administration of the SKIMS shall provide OPD and theatre facilities to the department thrice in a week in the main theatre of SKIMS which shall be considered immediately,” the order, a copy of which lies with KNS reads.
“The department shall remain independent department and there shall be no transfer of consultants from other departments like general surgery to accommodate them in department of Surgical Oncology,” it said.
However, only SKIMS administration knows why the posts haven’t been filled yet despite CM’s orders and alarming rate of cancer in Kashmir.
Jammu Kashmir is the only state lacking cancer treatment pathways, cancer registry and Cancer Surgery departments, despite of the fact that cancer is like epidemics here.
When contacted Director SKIMS, Dr Zarger said, “It isn’t true that patients have died in waiting list. We distribute the patients to different departments where cancer surgeries are done.”
When this reporter quoted a few cases alongwith RCC numbers of the hospital who have died waiting for surgery, the Director said. “I don’t know where from you have got this information.”
Asked why the vacancies in Surgical Oncology department haven’t been filled despite sanctioned by the government, Dr Zarger said, “Some vacancies have been advertised two months back.”
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