Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 24: Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today said that the liver transplant unit which was sanctioned at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) has failed to take off even as five years have passed since it was sanctioned.
DAK president, Dr Nisar ul Hassan in a statement said that the liver transplant unit was envisaged in 2013, but since then no initiative has been taken by authorities at SKIMS to start the unit.
“An yearly grant of Rupees one crore was sanctioned for placement of trained staff, but till date no infrastructure has been put in place and no staff was trained,” he said.
He further said the space, which was designated for the unit, has been converted into chambers for consultants. “Even the services of two trained liver transplant surgeons have not been utilized and one of them has submitted his resignation as his skill was wasted. With no transplant facility, salvageable liver failure patients are dying,” he said.
Dr Nisar said the patients with liver failure and end-stage liver disease are on rise in Kashmir and the only viable option for them is liver transplantation.
Follow our WhatsApp channel