Srinagar– Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of medical sciences(SKIMS) has brought down the net death rate of patients to 3.2 per cent during the preceding year. These mortality figures are at par with other tertiary centres in the country", says noted endocrinologist and Director, Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr. Hamid Zargar. "Out of the 47,660 in-patient admissions last year, as many as 44,541 have been discharged after recuperation", he adds.
Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of medical sciences Annual Report 2008, which was recently presented to the Governor N. N. Vohra, the rising skyscrapers reflect a picture of efficient patient care, backed by the use of latest medical technology, thus giving SKIMS the status of the premier medical institute in the State.
The institute has also recorded a marked decrease in average length of the stay of patients. The OPD attendance in the institute has also increased by 11 per cent with nearly 5.72 lakh patients availing OPD facilities in various departments, adds Dr. Zargar.
The institute has also carried 16,348 surgeries, including 9,867 major operations pertaining to neurosurgery, paediatric, plastic, urology, et al. "In accident emergency, we have treated 68,000 people in 2008, in comparison to a mere 10,000 in mid-Eighties and 20,000-25,000 in mid-Nineties", says Dr. Zargar. The Department of CVTS performed more than 100 open heart surgeries, which is a record in 26 years of SKIMS’ existence. Mortality in these patients was 5 per cent, which is at par with other centres of national repute, he adds with pride.
To meet the rush of patients that converge on SKIMS daily, more than 150 people have been employed. Besides, 600 employees of the institute have also been promoted, says the Director.
SKIMS is also actively involved in the promotion of research in different streams of medical, surgical and other related sciences. The reputed tertiary-care hospital has started postgraduate degrees in DM Cardiology, M. Ch Cardio-Vascular and Thoracic Surgery, DM Gastroenterology and M. Ch Neurosurgery. Doctoral degrees as Ph. D Clinical Bio-chemistry and Molecular Medicine have also been launched in the institute." More than 100 research papers, half of them in international journals, were published from SKIMS", adds the Director.
The Clinical Haematology Department of the institute, in collaboration with the Department of Immunology, has distinguished itself by starting detection of JAK-2 Mutations in patients with myeloproliferative disorders. Presently, this facility is available in only two centres in the country.