Corroborated efforts needed!
- Today meeting with Dr Ashutosh Gupta over the issue of complete Pediatric Nephrology services in SMGS Hospital Jammu was very disappointing and lacking in constructive engagements.
RC Sharma Chanakya
Jammu, Aug 05: The persistent shortage of pediatric nephrology services at SMGS Hospital in Jammu has raised serious concerns among local residents and healthcare professionals. Despite concerted efforts to address this issue dating back to 2016, the hospital still needs crucial facilities for treating children with kidney disorders, unlike the well-equipped pediatric nephrology department at GB Pant Hospital in Srinagar.
The issue was first highlighted in March 2016, when an application was submitted to the then-Governor of Jammu and Kashmir by a responsible citizen Pt RC Sharma who is also a senior journalist of Jammu. This application vide No PRCS/2016/16 and dated 22-03-2016, called for the establishment of a pediatric nephrology unit at SMGS Hospital. The application emphasized the need to replicate the advanced facilities available at GB Pant Hospital in Srinagar, which includes comprehensive care for children with kidney conditions.
The appeal was further supported through a meeting with Parvez Deewan, the then-Advisor to the Governor responsible for the Health and Medical Education Department. Following these efforts, the case was forwarded to the Secretary of the concerned department. On April 26, 2016, the Secretary requested a detailed report from the Principal of Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital Jammu regarding the availability of pediatric nephrology services.
In response, the then Principal of GMC Hospital Jammu submitted a report on May 16, 2016 (No GMC/PS/16Nephrology/1374). The report highlighted a critical shortage of essential facilities, including Hemodialysis and Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) in the pediatric department at SMGS Hospital. It noted that these facilities were necessary for providing optimal care to children with kidney disorders and stressed that their absence severely impacted patient care.
Despite these findings and the urgent recommendations made, there has been little progress in establishing the required services at SMGS Hospital. Recent developments have shown that the essential facilities for Hemodialysis and CAPD are still unavailable to the ailing children, forcing families to seek treatment elsewhere, often at considerable personal and financial expense.
Today, on August 5, 2024, Sharma, who has been actively pursuing this issue since 2016, attempted to meet with the Principal, Dr. Ashutosh Gupta in this concern. Even, he had previously discussed the matter via WhatsApp on July 28, 2024, and had hoped for a productive dialogue.
However, the meeting proved to be deeply disappointing. Sharma was taken aback by Dr. Gupta’s lack of engagement with the issue. It was observed that Dr. Gupta had not properly reviewed the representations and gave a very casual hearing towards this crucial and longstanding problem, the reasons behind such behave better known to Dr Ashutosh Gupta. The applicant expressed frustration at the apparent disregard for the critical need for advanced pediatric nephrology services and the continued delays in addressing this issue.
The community remains deeply concerned about the absence of necessary medical facilities at SMGS Hospital. Local health advocates and parents are calling for immediate action to address the deficiencies and establish a fully functional pediatric nephrology unit. They argue that such services are crucial for ensuring that children in Jammu receive timely and effective care, without the additional burden of traveling long distances for treatment.
As the situation continues to unfold, there is a growing demand for government officials and hospital administrators to prioritize the development of the required infrastructure and to address the urgent needs of pediatric patients in Jammu. The hope is that renewed efforts and a stronger commitment from all stakeholders will lead to the establishment of essential pediatric nephrology services at SMGS Hospital, thereby improving the quality of care for children in the region.
