Even in year 45 of SKIMS, no liver transplant facility in J&K

Centre approved a special outlay for Rs 500 crore for SKIMS-II, liver transplant centre in 2010-12 but J&K remained reluctant, didn’t lift the funds

SRINAGAR: Over 12-14 years back, Government of India approved a special outlay of Rs 510 crores for creation of four Centres of Excellence in medical science and a liver transplant centre at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar. However, neither the SKIMS authorities nor the successive governments in the State/UT showed any interest to utilise the funds and upgrade and modernise the diagnostic and surgical systems in conformity with the facilities available in the rest of the country and the world.
Sources associated with the process disclosed to The NEWS NOW that in the year 2009-10, SKIMS submitted a proposal of the creation of four centres of excellence to the Union Government when Ghulam Nabi Azad was Minister of Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education. Subsequently the Centre approved an outlay of Rs 360 crore and gave its green signal to the creation of SKIMS-II.
Centre of Excellence for cardio thoracic sciences, Centre of Excellence for neurosciences, Centre of Excellence for renal sciences and Advanced Centre for Trauma were suggested and approved as part of SKIMS-II.
“Unfortunately, the then Director SKIMS, his successors and the State/UT governments in the next 12-14 years did not show any interest. They neither pursued the demands nor showed any interest in claiming and utilising the approved outlay for the purpose mentioned in the exhaustive proposal. As a result of their lackadaisical approach and nonchalance, the entire amount of Rs 360 crore got lapsed”, said a former official who remained a part of the hospital administration.
“The then Director SKIMS Dr Abdul Hamid Zargar was initially enthusiastic about the Centre’s approval and support to the creation of SKIMS-II. He was keen to take this project to its logical conclusion. Upon completing his term, Dr Zargar was hopeful of an extension of three years to his service as Director SKIMS. But he turned reluctant immediately after the then Government notified the vacancy of Director SKIMS and sought applications from the candidates. Soon he retired and a gastroenterologist, Dr Showkat Zargar, was appointed as Director SKIMS”, said a retired faculty member.
He revealed that none of Dr Zargar’s successors did pursue the ambitious project of expansion and modernisation at SKIMS. “The net result was that the committed Central outlay of Rs 360 crore was not utilised for its purpose.
Later, in 2012, the SKIMS administration submitted another ambitious project of Rs 150 crore to the Centre. It demanded funds for creation of an Advanced Centre for hepatobiliary diseases including a liver transplant facility at par with New Delhi’s Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS). Again, the Centre approved the proposal with an outlay of Rs 150 crore.
It was proposed that the Centre would be titled as ‘Centre of Excellence for hepatology and biliary sciences’.
“A high-profile conference for awareness about liver diseases and liver transplants was organised in Srinagar. It was among others attended and addressed by Professor Mohammad Sultan Khuroo, a former Director SKIMS and gastroenterologist of world repute. Yet again the authorities at SKIMS, as well as the politicians and bureaucrats in the successive governments showed no interest or seriousness in establishing a super-specialty facility for liver transplants”, said another former faculty member.
“Approval for SKIMS-II was granted by the Prime Minister’s Office in 2009. An amount of Rs 360 crore was allocated to SKIMS. Later in 2012, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare approved the proposal for hepatobiliary sciences on the pattern of ILBS at SKIMS. The Centre initially allocated an outlay of Rs 125 crore but assured that all the required support would be provided. Unfortunately, nobody in the system showed interest in establishing the centre which would have made liver transplants possible in Jammu and Kashmir”, said another official who remained associated with Hospital Administration.
Gastroenterologist Prof. Mohammad Sultan Khuroo asserted: “Yes, it is a fact that we did not catch up with the rest of the world, with the rest of India. Even today, all patients of liver failures and dysfunctionalities are referred to different hospitals in New Delhi, Mumbai and South India. We established the country’s best Department of Gastroenterology at SKIMS in 1980-90. We could have done better here”.
“We had the fundamental infrastructure at SKIMS. We didn’t need hundreds of crores of financial support. We just needed a sophisticated operation theatre and connected facilities, just some space for it. Some gastroenterologists and surgeons with M Ch and DM had to be sent to advanced centres of liver transplant for practical training for 2-3 months. That was all. On one occasion, a doctor was deputed for such training but his whereabouts remained unknown”, said another former professor.
Officials said that around 1,100 liver transplant surgeries have been conducted by ILBS, which was created by the Government of Delhi in 2010. In the private sector, around 3,000 liver transplants have been conducted by Medanta Medicity Gurgaon and 3,500 by Max Hospital.

Updated On 11/25/2024 4:40:07 AM