DGHS team visits SSH Jammu
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Mar 25: Finally, hope has arisen for early functioning of Renal Transplant Center in Super Speciality Hospital (SSH) Jammu as a team of licensing authority i.e. Director General Health Services (DGHS), Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, today visited the facility in SSH Jammu for inspection.
Official sources told Excelsior that in the year 2016, PDP-BJP Government in the erstwhile J&K State had announced to establish a Kidney Transplant Center in SSH Jammu and sanctioned Rs 50 crore for the same so that the patients from Jammu and adjoining districts do not have to go outside for availing this facility.
They said although all the basic infrastructure including high tech state of art Microbiology and Biochemistry labs, and in-house Radiological and Imaging, had been raised important high end machinery besides equipment purchased, and requisite staff were recruited by mid 2021 but the Renal Transplant Center could not be made functional as the GMC administration failed to register the center with the licensing authority.
However, sources said in August last year, the GMC Jammu applied for registration of the Renal Transplant Center and accordingly, the inspection of the DGHS team was scheduled for January 2022 but as the COVID Pandemic was at peak that time, the visited was deferred but as the DGHS team today visit SSH Jammu, the hope for early registration of the Renal Transplant Center and its functioning has arisen.
Sources informed that the visiting DGHS team comprised Dr Ashish Sharma, (Transplant Surgeon, PGI Chandigarh) and Dr Himanshu Mahapatra (Nephrologist, RML Hospital Delhi). Accompanied by Dr Shazia Wafai (Regional Director, Regional office of Health & Family Welfare), the DGHS team checked the transplant facility in the Department of Urology and Nephrology in SSH Jammu including ICUs, operation theatres and wards, besides laboratories and radio-diagnostic facilities.
“The team also inspected main ICU, Surgery Theatre and laboratories and all the departments in GMC which are involved in the transplantation as per the prescribed parameters of Government of India under Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, THOTA, 1994,” sources disclosed. They further added that the visiting DGHS team also took personal interviews of Urologists and checked their log books to assess their experience in renal transplant.
Sources revealed that the DGHS team was highly satisfied with the infrastructure and other facilities of the Renal Transplant Center. However, the team suggested minor modifications in the infrastructure of the facility and augmentation of manpower and conduct of more training programme for the staff of the facility.
It is pertinent to mention here that the patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) would be greatly benefitted after getting the registration from DGHS as they don’t have to travel outside for getting Kidney Transplant.
Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma told Excelsior that GMC Jammu is well equipped with the entire infrastructure, experts and other facilities for starting kidney transplant in the institution. She said they are hoping to get the registration from the authorities for performing Kidney Transplantation soon.
Dr Elias Sharma, HoD Urology said that the Department will perform live kidney transplantation as soon as registration is done. “Patients in need of a Kidney Transplantation will have to register themselves with this institute or State Organ and Tissue Transplantation Organization (SOTTO) J&K”, he added.
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