Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, June 6: The lone eco-cardiograph machine in Kashmir’s premier tertiary hospital, Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), is non-functional for the last three weeks.
Sources told Excelsior that the only eco-cardiograph machine used in diagnosis of heart related ailments in Cardio Vascular Thoracic Surgery (CVTS) Department of SKIMS is non-functional for the last three weeks. Hundreds of patients who come there for diagnosis and treatment of various types of heart ailments have to suffer due to non-functioning of the machine.
Doctors at SKIMS told Excelsior that there is a huge shortage of eco-cardiograph machines in SKIMS. “We need 5-6 such machines to run CVTS Department smoothly”, they said, adding at least 50 to 60 patients get tested by the lone eco-cardiograph machine in SKIMS daily.
As the testing machine is out of order the patients have to go to private diagnostic centers where one eco-cardiograph test costs Rs 1500 to Rs 2000, whereas the same test costs only Rs 400 at SKIMS.
Mohammad Ramzan Dar, who had come all along from Achabal, Anantnag for Echocardiograph test of his 3 year old granddaughter said: “It took us 5 hours to reach SKIMS as we were caught up in traffic jams, but I was shocked to learn that the testing machine is non-functional”.
When contacted, the Director SKIMS, Shoukat Ahmad Zargar said that the machine has been repaired and will be functional very soon. He admitted that due to lack of required funds there is an acute shortage of Echocardiograph machines in SKIMS.
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