Srinagar, May 27: In a move with far-reaching consequences on patient care at the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS) Soura, the hospital administration has banned vital surgeries including Laparoscopy without consulting the concerned doctors putting the lives of patients at risk.
 The hospital sources said the surgeries have been banned by the Assistant Director SKIMS, who is presently holding the charge of Director in “blatant violation” of hospital norms. 

THE ORDER
  “It is hereby ordered that all the surgical procedures relating to benign Gall Bladder diseases like open Cholecystectomy/ Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy will not be conducted at SKIMS from now onwards. The surgical procedures of this nature shall henceforth be conducted at SKIMS Medical College, Hospital. Any deviation in this behalf shall be viewed seriously,” reads the order No SIMS-679 of May 26, 2011, issued by Acting Director SKIMS, a copy of which lies with Greater Kashmir. 

IMPACT
 Hajira Begum,68, from Tral area of south Kashmir is a cardiac patient admitted at Ward No. 01 Bed No. 20 of the cardiology unit. She has already undergone some critical lifesaving treatments and was scheduled to undergo a Laparoscopy surgery on Monday. But following the administrative orders on ban on the surgeries, the procedure has been cancelled. “This has left the patient helpless and even endangered her life. It is ironical that the hospital administration has banned the surgeries without our consultation,” a medico wishing anonymity told Greater Kashmir.
 “How does a civil administrator having no knowledge of medical field know which patient needs what kind of treatment?,” he argued.

‘VIOLATION OF CONSTITUTION’
 A senior medico working in the Neurology department said handing over of the charge of SKIMS director to a non-technical person was violation of the SKIMS constitution. “A non-technical person who primarily is not a doctor can’t be SKIMS director. This is simply violation of the constitution and threat to the patient life”, the senior doctors said. 

OFFICIALS SPEAK
 An official in the SKIMS administration said that the surgeries have been “temporally banned”. “The ban will soon be revoked said an officer in the SKIMS administration”, he said. However he failed to speak on how a non-technical person can decide about the treatment for a patient.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 27 May 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 27 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 28 May 2011 00:00:00 IST