Maiden video bronchoscopy done at GMC Baramulla

In a first, the doctors at Government Medical College (GMC), Baramulla, have performed video bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage and biopsy.
Dr. Shumail Bashir, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Chest Medicine, undertook the procedure for a 34-year-old male patient from Uri with Post-Tubercular Lung Fibrosis and LUL Aspergilloma for diagnostic BAL.
Another patient, officials said, was a 57-year-old male with suspected lung cancer.
“This is the first time a procedure like this has been performed in GMC Baramulla, marking a milestone for the newly established medical college,” Dr. Shumail said.
The officials said that for such a procedure to be done, the patients had to travel distances, which not only used to be time-consuming but would also incur costs.
“The procedure contributes to the mission of GMC aiming at improved diagnostics and patient care,” officials said.
The procedure was carried out by the Department of Chest Medicine with support from the Department of Anesthesia under Dr. Wasim Salman and technical staff including Arshid Maqbool, Rafeeq, and others.
The doctors, while talking about the procedure, said that bronchoscopy is an invasive diagnostic test useful for diagnosing diseases such as lung cancer, atypical infections, interstitial lung diseases, and the evaluation of hemoptysis.
“It holds the key in such cases, and the outcomes are then corroborated with other investigations to reach a specific conclusion,” doctors said. They noted that there has been total support from the Principal, GMC Baramulla, Dr. Ruby Reshi, and the concerned Medical Superintendent, Dr. Parvaiz Masoodi, ensuring the availability of diagnostic facilities.