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Doctors sound alarm about rising liver failures, deaths due to unproven treatments

The Post-Graduate Department of Paediatrics at GMC Srinagar has urged the authorities to take immediate action against these unauthorized practitioners to protect public health
11:42 PM Jan 23, 2025 IST | ZEHRU NISSA
doctors sound alarm about rising liver failures  deaths due to unproven treatments
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Srinagar, Jan 23: The quest for a miracle cure for jaundice is leading to catastrophic outcomes for children in Kashmir, an SoS letter from Paediatricians at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar has revealed. The doctors have urged the authorities to act strongly against such quacks whose dangerous therapies are resulting in liver failure among children.

The letter has sounded the alarm over the rising cases of Acute Liver Failure (ALF) linked to unproven treatments administered by quacks. The Post-Graduate Department of Paediatrics at GMC Srinagar has urged the authorities to take immediate action against these unauthorized practitioners to protect public health.

According to official communication, several patients previously discharged from the hospital with ALF sought treatment from a person in Dara Harwan, hoping for ‘miracle cures’. “However, these individuals received unproven medical treatments and complementary therapies, which led to critical conditions, requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admissions due to ALF,” the letter reads. Tragically, some of them succumbed to their conditions.

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The department has strongly recommended stringent measures against quacks to safeguard public health and prevent further loss of life. The letter emphasizes the importance of ensuring qualified medical care and discouraging reliance on unauthorized practitioners.

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Dr Sheikh Mushtaq Ahmed, Head of the Department of Pediatrics, who has flagged the issue said it was a grave concern. He expressed shock over the continuing reliance on unapproved and dangerous formulations that people consume without a thought. He said that jaundice in children is mostly caused by Hepatitis A and Hepatitis E, and is a self-limiting infection, but people's desire for a 'cure' leads them to seek treatment from quacks. "They are administered 'safe herbal medicines' that cause liver damage. It's heartbreaking to see young lives lost due to unnecessary and unsafe treatments," he said.

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Dr Ahmed said the Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Children Hospital Bemina has been recording an increasing number of liver failure among children.  “What can we do, after the child reaches us in liver failure stage? Some pediatric patients are even taking so-called treatment for cancer from these quacks,” he said.

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In continuation to the letter, the GMC Srinagar authorities have urged the public to be cautious and seek treatment only from certified medical professionals to prevent complications arising from unverified therapies.

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Controller Drugs J&K, Lotika Khajuria said the Department had lifted samples of some drugs from the location as pointed out by GMC Srinagar. "The reports are awaited," she said.