SRINAGAR: Cancer patients had to return disappointed as one of the three radiotherapy machines developed a technical snag at SMHS Hospital in Srinagar.
Talking to the news agency KNO, patients who had come for radiotherapy sessions said that they had to return without receiving the treatment as one of the machines installed in the radiation oncology department at the hospital developed a fault two days ago.
Gulzar Ahmad, a patient from Budgam, said he had to undergo therapy but had to wait for a long time due to the malfunctioning machine. “Since therapy is the only treatment for cancer patients, the machine should have been repaired quickly,” another cancer patient said, expressing concerns that further delays could worsen the patients’ health.
They appealed to the GMC administration to address the issue promptly and ensure that the machine is repaired without delay. Head of the Department of Radiation Oncology at GMC Srinagar, Dr. Manzoor Ahmad, told KNO that for the past two days, the machine had a minor issue related to temperature control due to an increase in temperature. “We are working on it, and it will be permanently resolved. However, we are still making efforts to treat as many patients as possible and ensure that no patient is turned away if they have reported to the department,” he said.
He further explained that the machine experiencing issues is still in use and functional, although it occasionally faces temperature fluctuations. (KNO)
