We would like to know , for that matter everyone living in Jammu division, as to the reasons of not setting up a kidney transplant centre at the super Speciality Hospital in Jammu . Not only have the requisite funds been earmarked to the tune of Rs.50 crore but the process given a legislative backing too by enacting, exactly on the lines of the Central Act, an Act titled Jammu and Kashmir Organ Transplant (Amendment) Act by the Governor to pave way for setting up of the said Transplant centre. The usual neglect of the people of Jammu in this noble cause too is manifest by the total casual approach shown by the previous State Government that it had no regard for the directives of the State High Court in this regard and as many as four years have just gone down the drain without the centre coming up in the Hospital.
On the face of it, a blatant discrimination is more than discernable meted out by the State Government in that such a facility exists at Srinagar’s SKIMS at Soura but not in Jammu and patients from this vast area have to go all the way to PGI Chandigarh, AIIMS, New Delhi and other Institutes . For almost all facilities related to medical health and other issues in Jammu, Courts’ intervention is sought by filing of PILs like in opening up of an eye Bank etc and in the instant case too, issue of organ transplant was taken up via a PIL in the State High Court where the Division Bench in early 2014 passed on directions to the State Government in the matter but as on date, concerted preparations are nowhere in sight towards setting up of the sensitive and critical transplant centre in the Super Speciality Hospital in Jammu at an early date.
There could be various reasons as in our state for any project of any degree of urgency and importance to come up, several avoidable impediments have to be encountered like considerable time wasted in red-tape and paper work, obtaining several NOCs, mismatch between allocated funds and actual disbursements, deficiency in technical knowhow and problems in outsourcing the same. Equipment would be bought on piecemeal basis or tendering process protracted. In the instant case, as against a sanctioned amount of Rs.50 crore , why only Rs.15 crore have been disbursed is not known. Why in the name of setting up of a complete unit , just infrastructure for an ICU has been provided and what about the delicate machinery and other equipment coupled with the specialist Doctors, no definite plan or programme is made known. This Hospital , as already reported by us through these columns, is reeling under acute shortage of staff , mainly specialist hands and in Kidney Transplant Centre , increasingly trained specialist staff is required.
Otherwise, what exactly is the Department of Health and Medical Education waiting for and whether so far, the vital provisions of the legislation in this regard have been in the process of studying only or acting upon for the desired ends. In short, we would urge the State Administration to see that this project was not aborted or kept lingering on indefinitely and a time- frame should be fixed for its completion so as to become fully operational .
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