Srinagar, Dec 9: In Kashmir, a single positron emission tomography (PET) scan machine at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) serves an entire population battling cancer. This lone diagnostic tool is the region’s only PET scan machine, struggling to meet the overwhelming demand of a growing health crisis.
With 44,112 cancer cases documented between 2013 and 2023, patients face excruciating wait times and challenging circumstances. The machine processes only 5-10 scans daily, forcing many to travel hundreds of kilometres or pay exorbitant private healthcare costs.
Doctors express deep frustration. “We should have multiple PET scan machines,” says an anonymous radiologist. “But we have just one for the entire Kashmir region.”
Between 2013 and 2023, SKIMS documented 44,112 cancer cases, with annual registrations consistently rising. Yet, the lone PET scan machine processes merely 5-10 scans daily, creating a bottleneck in critical cancer diagnostics.
Patients like Ajaz Ahmad face devastating consequences. When his father needed a prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET scan, the family was forced to travel to Delhi, spending substantial resources to access essential medical imaging unavailable in Kashmir.
“It is extremely unfortunate that cancer patients in Kashmir still need to travel outside the state to access PET scan facilities,” said a surgical oncologist. These scans are crucial for determining cancer’s precise stage and guiding treatment strategies.
The machine’s limitations are compounded by additional challenges. Daily importation of FDG tracers from outside J&K creates further complications, with potential delays from flight issues or payment problems.
Nearby Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital, despite having a robust radiology department, remains without a PET scan facility. Patients are left with three difficult options: endure months-long waits at SKIMS, travel outside the region, or pay over Rs 25,000 at private diagnostic centers.
The human cost is profound. Each delayed scan represents a potential compromise in treatment efficacy, adding emotional and financial strain to families already battling cancer.
As case numbers continue to climb—1,159 cases at SMHS Hospital in 2022 alone—the single PET scan machine symbolizes a critical gap in Kashmir’s healthcare infrastructure, leaving thousands of patients in a desperate diagnostic limbo.
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