Srinagar: Authorities at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura announced that radioisotope services will be temporarily suspended in the first week of April.
Dr. Farooq Jan, the Medical Superintendent of SKIMS Soura, has urged the public to cooperate as radioisotope-based scans cannot be conducted during this period.
"The general public is informed that there will be no supply of iodine-131 (radioisotopes) for the 1st week of April 2024, as communicated by BRIT Mumbai due to issues with their generators, resulting in erratic availability of iodine-131 in the country. As such, iodine-131 based scans at Nuclear Medicine cannot be undertaken. We request people to cooperate, and we regret any inconvenience caused," said the Medical Superintendent in a public notice.
Radioisotopes are an essential component of radiopharmaceuticals and have been used routinely in medicine for over 30 years.
Officials emphasized that radioisotopes are used in various ways to enhance productivity and gather information not obtainable through other means.
They noted that those heavily reliant on Nuclear Medicine for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes will be affected by the unavailability of radioisotopes at the valley's premier hospital.
Furthermore, they stressed the need for robust planning and approach to ensure backup facilities are in place to prevent patient suffering.
(KNO)