Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Mar 12: Notwithstanding the claims made by the State Government of providing high-tech medicare facilities to people by constructing Super Specialty Hospitals in the State, out of three laparoscopic machines in GMC, Jammu two are out of order for last three weeks with authorities at the helm of affairs taking no steps to repair them.
According to sources, two laparoscopic machines in Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital went out of order three weeks back and despite the pleas of concerned doctors and staff who are facing many hardships in conducting the operations through laparoscopy, no efforts were made by the Hospital administration in repairing the same.
“This shows total unconcern of the hospital authorities towards the patients especially those coming from far-flung and remote areas of Jammu region for the treatment in GMC”, sources said.
Due to non functioning of the two machines, the entire load has been put on one machine with the result doctors are forced to extend the dates for operation by six to seven months, sources added. They said that official wrangles have been one of the causes in delaying the repairs to the machines and the pleas of doctors who are hard pressed are being outright ignored by the authorities at the helm of affairs.
Sources said with the normal functioning of the two laparoscopic machines eight to nine operations can be performed by doctors in a day and the rush of patients who had to undergo laparoscopic surgery will also decrease. But after the breakdown of the machines only a few such surgeries can be performed, sources added.
Sources said normally one laparoscopic machine should have been in emergency operation theatre for emergency cases which is not there and this request has also not been conceded by the authorities. Even the one machine placed at Super Specialty Hospital has also developed a snag, sources added.
With the breakdown of the machines, the number of patients who want to undergo surgeries for removal of kidney stone or gallbladder through laparoscopy is increasing day by day and they have been given six to seven months date ahead as doctors are unable to perform operations due to non functioning of machines.
Sources said the breaking down of the two machines is also forcing the patients to approach the private nursing homes where such operations are also performed. But the poor people who are unable to bear the cost of operations in private nursing homes have no alternative but either to wait for months together or go for general surgery.
The condition in GMC operation theatre has so deteriorated that hand instruments are also not available with doctors performing operations in operation theatres of the Hospital, sources added.
Admitting that the laparoscopic machines are out of order, the Medical Superintendent GMC, Dr Ravinder Rattan Pal said that the Hospital administration is on the job and he expressed the hope that the machines will be repaired within days.
Follow our WhatsApp channel