Srinagar: Reacting to a news report published in a section of press on Sunday regarding cancer treatment at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura, Dr Altaf Gauhar Haji, consultant and Head Department of Surgical Oncology at the Hospital clarified the report.
“I want to clarify the news story in which my previous communications dating back to two years back have been quoted. I started Department of Surgical Oncology in July 2011 as lone faculty member with four beds and two theatre sessions in a week. At that time I apprised the government through various representations regarding limited logistics and manpower to fight cancer at this lone tertiary care center,” Dr Haji said in a statement issued to KNS said.
“However, the Surgical Oncology has now evolved as full-fledged department and is functioning with four highly qualified trained cancer surgeons, 15 dedicated beds, facilities to operate cancer patients every day in routine operation theatres and emergency theatres. Till date me and my team has operated more than five hundred complex cancer resections who previously used to go to outside state for such treatment,” he said.
Dr Haji said that the Director SKIMS even made special efforts to start working of Surgical Oncology team in collaboration with Health Services Department to cater heavy rush of such patients at district general hospital level. “And I feel proud to say that through this project we have operated a very good number of cases at district general hospitals” he said.
“It seems that a mafia of private practitioners has started money mongered malicious propaganda campaign at a time when the Director is charging them on work. The motto of the campaign is to remove the reform management and to drift the reforms,” Dr Haji alleged.