Ajay Raina
JAMMU, Oct 14: Notwithstanding the claims of Government to provide super specialty treatment within the State to the patients, it has completely failed in providing medi-care facilities to the patients suffering from dreaded cancer diseases as the Cobalt Radioactive Machine (CRM) in Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) is out of order since long despite the fact that crore of rupees sanctioned by the Central Government over a year back for this purpose have not been utilized till date.
Official sources told the EXCELSIOR, that Government is spending huge amount on the construction of new hospitals which included Super Specialty Hospital (SSH) in Jammu, but it has not given any thought to upgrade or maintain the infrastructure of the present city hospitals, putting the life of thousands of patients at stake.
One of the glaring examples in this regard is non-functioning of the Cobalt Radioactive Machine (CRM) installed in the Oncology Department of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), sources said.
CRM is used as major equipment for the treatment of the cancer patients to kill cancerous cells in them to stop its further spread, sources said, adding that keeping this in view two machines were installed in the Oncology Department of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) few years back but one of them is out of order since long.
Both the machines were catering to the needs of large number of patients who visit the Department for Radiotherapy but the non-functioning of one of the two machines has put the life of the patients at stake, sources informed. In some cases cancer patients with critical conditions are made to wait for days, sources added.
“Why the Medical Health Department and Government are not installing the machine despite release of funds by the Central Government is a million dollar question”, sources said.
Sources informed that around Rs 2 crore has already been sanctioned by the Central Government for the replacement of the Cobalt Radioisotope, but the said amount has not been utilized till date for the reasons best known to the Medical Education Department.
From 400 to 500 cancer patients per year in 90s, their number has now swollen to over 2000 which has also exposed the tall claims of the Government to reduce the graph of cancer patients in the State, sources added.
When contacted Dr Shashi Gupta, Principal, GMC said that “we have forwarded the documents relating to the installation of the CRM to Commissioner, Medical and Health Education and in the coming days, the machine will be replaced”.
“The documentation for the installation of the CRM takes time as there are many formalities. But we have completed all of them and forwarded the same to the Commissioner for necessary action’’, Dr Gupta added.
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