'Unrest could add to mortality of cancer patients'

Due to more than three weeks of unrest in Kashmir, hundreds of cancer patients are unable to reach tertiary care hospitals for treatment and surgeries, a scenario that doctors said could add to the mortality of the sick.

Officials said that over 50% of patients dated for cancer surgeries could not make it to SKIMS Hospital here since the unrest began on July 8, following the death of Hizb-ul-Mujahdieen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with the security forces.

As a result, they said, the vital surgeries that could very well mean a lease of life for the cancer patients could not be availed by hundreds of patients. Similarly, hundreds of patients have also missed their radiation doses.

Cancer specialists at the SKIMS said they feared that many patients who needed immediate surgeries for malignancies could not be brought to the hospital. “They are losing out on chances of survival and recovery,” a senior onco-surgeon at SKIMS said.

Recognising the gravity of the matter, SKIMS recently had an emergency meeting with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti wherein a proposal was presented to allow the ‘extension of SKIMS and make it mobile’ through outreach services.

“People are not able to come to SKIMS. We are planning to make it reachable for them,” Director of SKIMS Dr AG Ahangar, told DH.

He said that over the past three weeks, a drop of more than 90% has been witnessed in cancer OPD.

The surgical oncology department of SKIMS operates on gynecological cancers two days a week at Trust Hospital operation theatre.

In the past three weeks, not a single patient has been operated upon there, reports said.
“The situation is tense and we are worried for the safety of our staff while they are out to discharge their professional duties,” hospital administration said.

Doctors said they were admitting and operating on those who needed surgeries. “We are not even considering whether the patient has been dated or not. We are trying to operate anyone and everyone who needs a surgery,” they said.
DH News Service