Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Front (PDF) President and former Minister Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen on Thursday expressed concern over the growing burden of liver diseases in Jammu and Kashmir and urged the Union and J&K governments to establish a fully functional liver transplant facility in the region.
Yaseen, as per a statement, said patients suffering from advanced liver diseases, particularly those from economically weaker sections, are often compelled to travel outside Jammu and Kashmir for specialised treatment, placing a heavy financial and emotional burden on their families.
“Liver diseases have become a serious health concern in Jammu and Kashmir. Poor patients are among the worst affected as they are forced to travel outside the Union Territory for treatment, which involves huge expenses for travel, accommodation, medical procedures and prolonged follow-up,” Yaseen said.
He said the absence of a comprehensive liver transplant facility in J&K was creating a significant healthcare gap and called for urgent intervention to address it.
Yaseen referred to earlier efforts at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) to establish a liver transplant programme, saying the initiative needs to be taken forward on a time-bound basis. SKIMS had in August 2024 held a comprehensive programme with leading liver-transplant experts to discuss a roadmap for starting the facility. The institute had said that the programme would require requisite infrastructure, protocols and a transplant licence.
