Amid the rise in cancer cases, hundreds of patients from South Kashmir in need of radiotherapy and other treatment facilities are suffering due to the absence of radiotherapy facilities at Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag.
Officials on condition of anonymity told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that around 400 new cancer patients were registered at the oncology department in GMC last year.
He said that the department is currently functioning without radiotherapy facilities, CT simulator, state of art medical linear accelerator, a tele-cobalt unit, medical physics and radiation monitoring equipment, chemotherapy hood and accessories for day care chemotherapy ward.
He said that poor attendants are facing challenges in transporting their patients daily to SKIMS Soura or SMHS for radiotherapy.
Relatives of several cancer patients told KNO that their patients have undergone multiple chemotherapy sessions; however, they now require radiotherapy.
They said that due to the lack of radiotherapy facilities at GMC, they have no option other than to take them for regular radiotherapy for about four weeks to Srinagar.
They further added that it is not easy to transport the patient to Soura from Kulgam or Anantnag daily, especially for those who belong to a financially weak family.
They urged the government to make necessary arrangements in this regard so that poor patients can avail such facilities at GMC Anantnag.
Doctors said that despite having the necessary manpower, the department lacks Tele-cobalt and Linear Accelerator (LINAC) machines, causing patients requiring radiotherapy to suffer.
They said there is an immediate need to establish a regional cancer centre at the hospital with all necessary facilities to cater to patients from South Kashmir and other areas as hundreds of cancer cases are being registered at the hospital every year.
A senior officer of the hospital told KNO that they have recently met Secretary Health in this regard and are expecting that the issue will be resolved soon—(KNO)