KT NEWS SERVICE SRINAGAR, June 30: Carcinogenic patients in valley's premier hospital, Sher-i- Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) accuse the hospital authorities of "step-motherly treatment" in view of the fact that they have to bear the expenses of any treatment or medical tests in the hospital by themselves.
The patients claim that they have to bear the expenses of even the minutest investigatory tests, which otherwise, were conducted free of cost.
Also the cancer patients are subjected to indefinite wait by hospital laboratory authorities for conducting the necessary investigatory tests, which otherwise were conducted on priority basis.
Mohammad Abdullah, a cancer patient from Kulgam, after spending 20 days in SKIMS institute, was taken back to his home by his lone son, as the family was not able to bear the expenses anymore.
"I have exhausted all my resources for the medicines and for various medical tests that my father has to undertake.
But now, I can not bear the expenses anymore, so I will keep my father at home.
What else can I do," said Mohammad Younis, son of Abdullah who is suffering from chest cancer.
"These tests were conducted free of cost till last month, but now they charge fees," he said.
As per sources, various investigatory tests like LFT, KFT, Hemogram, LDH, CPO, ASO and RF were conducted free of cost till a month back; but for the last one month now patients are asked to pay even for the minutest tests.
"This attitude of the hospital authorities makes most of the poor patients opt for not undergoing the necessary investigatory tests, as they can't bear the expenses," reveals a source, adding that other expensive investigatory tests, like Echo, Cath, Engography, C.T.
Scan, Ultrasound, TFT and Bone Marrow were always being done in the hospital after charging fee from the patients.
Sources further said that from the time the Regional Cancer Centre was established in the institute, the problems of cancer patients have got aggravated, as the Centre has "failed to perform the work for what it is meant".
"Many cancer patients are dying only because they are not treated well, as they are not able to conduct various necessary tests," said the source.
However, hospital authorities claim that the charges for all the medical tests are nominal, and blame the huge rush of patients in the hospital for the delay in conducting of various tests to cancer patients.
"We are charging minimal fee for the medical tests and the patients who are very poor are exempted from any charges," said director SKIMS Dr Abdul Hameed Zargar.
He added that the hospital policy is to charge minimal dues for the medical tests, and ruled out any indifferent attitude is given to cancer patients.
Kashmiri contractor elected regional chairman of MES Builders Assoc KT NEWS SERVICE SRINAGAR, June 30: Mohd Afzal Wani, a contractor from Trehgam Kupwara has been elected as Regional Chairman Northern region of Military Engineering Service Builder's Association of India.
The elections for the same were held on June 27 at P.H.D Chamber of Commerce New Delhi.
