Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 3: First in north Kashmir, the Government Medical College (GMC) in Baramulla has rolled out the much-awaited fibroscan facility for patients.
While the scan costs a significant amount in private setups, patients will now be able to avail the service free of cost, without having to travel long distances to get the test done.
Officials said that the facility was started a day prior at the hospital, making it the first of its kind healthcare facility equipped with fibroscan, which has become important considering the rise in diabetes and other diseases affecting the liver.
“This is the first machine in north Kashmir. GMC Baramulla has become the first hospital to have it here for better care and to allow patients to have timely diagnosis,” said Dr Zaffar Iqbal Kawoosa, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, GMC Baramulla.
He added that these days, the test has become crucial, especially due to the increase in fatty liver and other diseases and infections.
Being a non-invasive test, it is used to gauge the health of a patient’s liver and determine what stage of liver disease the patient might be facing. It utilizes special ultrasound technology to measure liver stiffness (hardness) and fatty changes in the liver.
Medical Superintendent, GMC Baramulla, Dr. Parvaiz Masoodi, also emphasized the importance of starting fibroscan at the hospital, terming it significant for better diagnosis of liver diseases.
“In the private setting, this test would incur considerable expenses; now that we have it here at GMC Baramulla, it will save money, and patients will no longer need to travel to Srinagar to get the test done,” he said.
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