Authorities in Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura, said that Radioisotopes will remain temporarily suspended in the first week of April.
As per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Medical Superintendent, SKIMS Soura, Dr Farooq Jan has requested the public to cooperate as radio isotope based scans cannot be undertaken during this period.
“The general public is informed that there will be no supply of iodine -131 ( Radio Isotopes) for the 1st week of April 2024 as has been communicated by BRIT Mumbai due to issues with their generators and hence erratic availability of Iodine-131 in the country. As such Iodine -131 based scans done at Nuclear Medicine cannot be undertaken. We request people to cooperate and the inconvenience is regretted,” said Medical Superintendent SKIMS Soura in public notice.
Radioisotopes are an essential part of radiopharmaceuticals and they have been used routinely in medicine for more than 30 years.
Officials said that radioisotopes are used in a variety of ways to improve productivity and gain information that cannot be obtained in any other way.
They said that those who heavily depend on Nuclear Medicine for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes will suffer due to unavailability of radio isotopes at the valleys premier hospital.
They said that there is a need for robust planning and approach required so that such back up facilities may be put in place so that patients won’t suffer at all—(KNO)