ECHO machine out of order at SMHS Hospital, patients suffer

Srinagar, Jun 11: The cornerstone of healthcare delivery in Kashmir, the SMHS Hospital Srinagar, has no functional echocardiography (ECHO) machine. Being the only Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar-affiliated hospital with a Casualty Department for cardiac, medical, and surgical emergencies, the defunct ECHO is severely hampering patient care and risking lives.

Every day, thousands of patients visit the casualty and emergency department of SMHS Hospital. The doctors rely heavily on ECHO machines to diagnose heart conditions such as heart failure, valve disorders, and complications from strokes. However, apart from the routine cardiac check-ups, patients in need of critical cardiac evaluations are facing significant delays, putting their lives in grave risk. Logistical challenges in transferring critically ill patients from SMHS’s emergency department to Shireen Bagh and back are immensely difficult.

“Imagine a patient who is brought to SMHS Hospital with a stroke or heart failure. And to get a complete picture of his condition, we have to shift him to Super Specialty Hospital on a stretcher, across the road,” a doctor working at the hospital said. He said that, in addition to the distance, the Super Specialty Hospital has a major patient load. “Every day, around 60-70 patients are lined up for ECHO and it becomes difficult to accommodate more,” he said. The doctor expressed concern over the delay in setting the ECHO unit at SMHS Hospital in order. “We have been pressing for it for a long time but it has not made a difference,” he said.

Many doctors at the Medical College expressed their anguish about the delay in addressing the snags, and repairs in critical healthcare equipment. “An ECHO machine is not your paint on the wall that can be postponed or ignored. It is meant to save lives with timely diagnosis of life-threatening heart conditions. But it seems healthcare is just about numbers for the department,” one doctor, wishing anonymity, said.

Some patients at the hospital said that they have been waiting for the ECHO for many days. “We have been dated at Super Specialty Hospital, but the dates are far ahead,” one patient said.

When Greater Kashmir spoke to the hospital authorities, they acknowledged the issue, stating that the ECHO machine developed a technical snag and is under repair. “We have been taking up the issue with GMC administration. We have been told that requisition for a new ECHO machine with J&K Medical Supplies Corporation, has bwen placed” Head Department of Cardiology,  Dr . However, GMC did not have clear timeline for the restoration of the machine. This was leaving patients and healthcare providers in a limbo. “We are working to rectify the issue as quickly as possible,” an official from SMHS Hospital said, requesting anonymity. “In the meantime, we are managing with limited resources.”

Spokesperson GMC Srinagar,  Mohammad Ashraf Hakak said he will look into the matter.