Srinagar, Sep 1, KNT: A crucial machine required for performing Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery (RIRS) has been lying defunct for the past one month at the Shereen Bagh hospital in Srinagar, leaving kidney stone patients in distress.
According to patients and attendants, no RIRS procedures have been conducted at the hospital since the machine developed a technical fault. A vital part of the equipment stopped functioning in early August, and despite repeated appeals from patients and doctors alike, it has not been replaced or repaired.
RIRS is considered one of the most advanced and minimally invasive procedures for removing kidney stones. The suspension of these surgeries at Shereen Bagh has forced many patients to either bear prolonged suffering or turn to private hospitals, where costs are unaffordable for most families.
“It is ironic that a premier government hospital in the heart of Srinagar does not have a working machine for such a common yet painful condition,” an attendant whose relative has been waiting for surgery for over three weeks, told the news agency Kashmir News Trust, .
Hospital officials acknowledged the problem and confirmed that a requisition for the replacement machine has been sent to higher authorities. However, they admitted that procurement has not yet taken place. “We are awaiting clearance and delivery of the equipment. Until then, RIRS surgeries cannot be conducted,” an official said.
The delay has triggered strong resentment among patients who believe the healthcare system has failed them. “If government hospitals lack essential facilities, patients are left at the mercy of costly private setups. It is both painful and humiliating,” another patient remarked.
Given the high incidence of kidney stone cases in Kashmir, the non-availability of a functioning RIRS machine at a major government hospital reflects poorly on healthcare planning and preparedness.
With no immediate solution in sight, the plight of patients continues to worsen as Shereen Bagh hospital struggles to resume one of its most critical surgical services. [KNT]
