In 13 years since its operation; SSH-J yet to start surgery
Arvind Sharma
Jammu Tawi, Feb 10: In what could be termed as a pathetic situation of health services, no coronary procedure/work of the patients suffering from serious heart diseases is being performed in the Jammu’s high-tech Super Specialty Hospital (SSH) ever since it became operational around thirteen (13) years back giving much hope to the people of this region.
The two hundred and twenty (220) bedded Super Specialty Hospital (SSH) in Jammu is an extended part of the Government Medical College and Hospital-Jammu (GMC&H-J) and has been operational since 2013-2014.
There are 6 departments in the Super Specialty Hospital-Jammu and all are fully functional namely, Cardiology, Nephrology, Neurology, Neuro Surgery, Urology and Cardio Thoracic Vascular Surgery (CTVS).
The OPD services of all these 6 departments are also fully functional besides admissions of the patients in all these departments.
The CTVS Department was mainly put in place for first time in Jammu’s Hospital and made functional with an aim to treat the critical heart patients requiring by-pass surgery at Jammu itself so that they do not have to go to other States.
When contacted, the Principal of the Government Medical College and Hospital-Jammu (GMC&H-J), Dr Ashutosh Gupta, admitted that no heart surgery mainly the by-pass surgery has so far been performed in CTVS department of the SSH-Jammu ever since it became operational around 13 years back.
He, however, said that by-pass surgery and other required heart procedures will soon be started in SSH Jammu as the steps in this regard are being taken on priority basis.
“Yes, no by-pass surgery of the critical heart patients has so been performed in the SSH-Jammu since it became functional,” the Principal informed the Northlines, while adding, “We are on the job and the process to acquire the required machinery and other items has been initiated”.
Soon, the CTVS Department will become fully functional and the much needed heart surgeries would be performed at Jammu, he said.
Meanwhile, official sources informed that the much needed heart lung machine for heart surgeries is not available in the SSH. Apart from this, the much needed machines for the Operation Theater (OT) are also not available in this hospital for carrying out heart surgeries.
They also said that the much important circuit system for patients requiring heart surgeries is also not available in the SSH-Jammu due to which the much needed heart surgeries are not being performed here.
Sources informed that more than 140 patients with serious heart diseases are reported in the hospital every month on an average requiring heart surgery but they have no other option and have to go to Delhi, Punjab and other States to get this treatment.
The cost of by-pass surgery runs in lakhs outside J&K besides causing lot of inconvenience to the patients and their family members.
Sources also said that concerned authorities in all these 13 years have failed to plead their case with the government for making the CTVS Department fully functional at SSH and to start the heart surgeries for the benefit of the patients of this region.
