Shimla, Nov 10 (PTI) Himachal"s kidney patients are getting dates after dates but no medical aid at Indira Gandhi Medical College in Shimla owing to a crucial machine for the treatment of the ailment being out of order for several months now. Owing to an Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy machine used for breaking kidney stones not functioning for several months now in the state prestigious hospital IGMC, 65-year-old Gian Chand of Tikker village in Bilaspur district and many others like him have been left making rounds of the hospital uselessly. The patients are coming to the hospital only to be told to come at a later date and on the next date, the same advice is given with a fresh date, complained attendants of several patients. “I have been left chasing dates in the hospital for the treatment of my ailing husband,” Gian Chand’s wife Shakuntala told PTI. “It’s for the fourth time that I came to the hospital today in the last few months for the treatment of my husband after covering a distance of over 100 km and wasting Rs 4,000 as to-and-fro taxi fare. But all that we got from the Urology Department of the hospital is a fresh date of December 7,” said an agitated Shakuntala. “At least the IGMC staff have told us that the machine is still out of order, our money spent on coming to IGMC would have been saved. We had to spend around Rs 4,000 for taxi and eatables every time we visited IGMC,” she added. “We have now been left with no option but to go to a private hospital in Bilaspur for my husband"s treatment as we cannot wait till December 7,” she said. “Gian Chand"s case is not an isolated one. There are several kidney patients who are referred to the IGMC from far-flung areas of the hill state for treatment but the majority of them could not be treated because ESWL is out of order for the last over four months,” AICC secretary and former MLA Rajesh Dharmani said. Dharmani, also the chairman of the state Congress chargesheet committee, demanded that ESWL should be repaired without any further delay for immediate treatment of kidney patients. “What is the fun of having Ayushman Bharat and HimCare schemes if the necessary machines are not repaired on time?” he asked. When contacted, the head of IGMC"s Urology Department, Prof Pamposh Raina said he was not authorised to talk to the media. IGMC’s Senior Medical Superintendent, Dr Janak Raj, however, told PTI that an order has already been placed for importing the faulty part of the ESWL. “We are waiting for the delivery of the part to make the ESWL functional,” he added. Dr Raj hoped the required parts would be delivered soon and ESWL would start functioning shortly. PTI DJI RAX RAX