Radioisotopes to remain temporarily suspended at SKIMS

SRINAGAR — Authorities in Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura said that Radioisotopes will remain temporarily suspended in the first week of April.

As per the news agency KNO, Medical Superintendent, SKIMS Soura, Dr Farooq Jan has requested the public to cooperate as radioisotope-based scans cannot be undertaken 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 has been communicated by BRIT Mumbai due to issues with their generators and hence erratic availability of Iodine-131 in the country,” said Medical Superintendent of SKIMS Soura in a public notice.

It added, “As such Iodine-131-based scans done at Nuclear Medicine cannot be undertaken. We request people to cooperate and the inconvenience is regretted.”

Radioisotopes are an essential part of radiopharmaceuticals and these have been used routinely in medicine for more than 30 years.

Officials said that radioisotopes are used in a variety of ways to improve productivity and gain information that cannot be obtained in any other way. They said that those who heavily depend on Nuclear Medicine for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes will suffer due to the unavailability of radioisotopes at the Valley’s premier hospital.

They said that there is a need for robust planning and approach required so that such backup facilities may be put in place so that patients won’t suffer at all.