Dr.Fiaz Maqbool Fazili
Two AIIMS, 12 medical colleges, expanding critical-care infrastructure and an increasingly assertive private healthcare sector. J&K is witnessing a healthcare transformation. Can it convert this momentum into a medical economy that attracts patients, specialists and investment rather than exporting them? For decades, Kashmir’s healthcare story was defined by an uncomfortable reality: when illness became complicated, patients looked outside. Delhi, Chandigarh,Mumbai and other metropolitan centres became destinations for cancer treatment, cardiac interventions, complicated surgeries and specialised care.Is that equation beginning to change.?The sharper thesis here in this piece is that J&K’s healthcare transformation is no longer driven by government infrastructure alone. A parallel private healthcare revolution is emerging, with corporate hospitals, IVF centres, specialist networks and a growing concentration of medical talent. That makes the medical-hub argument much stronger. I’ve reduced the repetitive statistics and made the conclusion more challenging.
With two AIIMS, 12 medical colleges, 17 Critical Care Blocks and 3,166 Health and Wellness Centres, the public healthcare landscape is undergoing a significant expansion. But something equally interesting is happening beyond government institutions: corporate hospital groups are exploring and establishing multispeciality facilities, IVF centres are mushrooming, diagnostic services are expanding and specialist doctors are increasingly choosing Srinagar and district centres for professional practice.Could J&K be moving from being a healthcare-dependent region to becoming an emerging medical destination?The possibility is real. But infrastructure, investment and ambition must now translate into clinical excellence.A public healthcare revolution-the expansion of AIIMS Jammu and the development of AIIMS Kashmir could fundamentally alter access to tertiary healthcare. These institutions must become more than referral centres; they should emerge as hubs of specialised treatment, medical research and advanced training.The expansion of government medical colleges from four to twelve is equally significant. MBBS seats have increased from 500 to 1,725, while postgraduate and super-specialty seats have grown from 513 to 802. DNB training capacity has also expanded substantially.This is an investment in J&K’s future medical workforce.Yet the challenge is not simply producing crop of doctors, degrees without jobs. It is producing specialists, retaining faculty, improving clinical training and ensuring that district hospitals develop the capacity to manage increasingly complex cases.A medical college must be judged by the quality of its doctors, not merely the number of seats it offers.
The private healthcare surge is a new confidence signal.Perhaps the most interesting development is the growing interest of private healthcare investors.Corporate hospital groups are building or planning multispeciality hospitals, while IVF and fertility centres are mushrooming across Srinagar and other urban centres. Diagnostic chains, speciality clinics and advanced treatment facilities are expanding the range of services available locally. There is also a visible movement of specialist doctors into the region. According to local professional observations, a network of more than 200–300 ( an observational figure)of the visiting specialists from across the Banihal corridor and elsewhere are serving patients in Srinagar and district centres through consultations and visiting arrangements. This figure merits formal verification, but the broader trend signals growing professional engagement with the region.
Why does this matter? Because private investment rarely follows infrastructure alone. It also responds to patient demand, purchasing capacity, market potential and confidence in the future of a region.The emergence of State of Art ,Multi speciality hospitals and fertility centres suggest that healthcare is increasingly being viewed not merely as a public service requirement but as a growing economic sector.or investors paradise too. However, commercial expansion must not be confused with universal access. Affordability, ethical practices, transparent pricing and clinical accountability must remain central. The mushrooming of IVF centres, in particular, calls for strong regulatory oversight and patient protection.The opportunity beyond hospitals has the ingredients to develop a broader healthcare economy: medical education, specialised treatment, diagnostics, nursing and paramedical training, pharmaceutical services, rehabilitation and medical research.Its strategic location also offers the possibility of attracting patients from neighbouring regions, provided treatment quality and institutional reputation justify that confidence,unless any new Golf course overshadows the need .The State Cancer Institutes in Jammu and Srinagar, Bone and Joint Hospitals and the Paediatric Hospital in Srinagar provide important foundations for specialised care.Meanwhile, the expansion of primary healthcare, affordable medicine outlets and emergency ambulance services can strengthen the referral chain between villages, district hospitals and tertiary institutions. The proposed 17 Critical Care Blocks are particularly important in a geographically challenging region where delays in emergency treatment can prove fatal. But a hospital’s real strength is not its bed count, “suit boot, décor, it is the availability of competent specialists, trained nurses, advanced diagnostics, intensive care and reliable emergency systems., of course with a big rejoinder on compassionate care, accessible but has to be affordable.
The uncomfortable question/s: Are we building excellence or capacity alone?This is where the healthcare narrative must become more demanding. Are medical colleges adequately staffed? Can government institutions retain their best specialists? Are private hospitals investing in genuine clinical capability or primarily competing for lucrative procedures? Are patients receiving transparent, affordable treatment? The decline in infant mortality from 22 to 14 and improvement in sex ratio at birth from 927 to 976, as reported in the official healthcare assessment, are encouraging indicators. But the next phase must be measured through treatment outcomes, specialist availability, maternal and child health, patient satisfaction and reduced medical migration.
J&K must also confront the shortage of research opportunities, institutional collaboration and advanced postgraduate training. Without these, even impressive infrastructure can struggle to develop a reputation for excellence.
From a healthcare market to a medical hub, the opportunity before J&K is larger than attracting a few corporate hospital chains or expanding medical seats. It is about building a sustainable medical ecosystem in which public institutions provide accessible healthcare, private hospitals bring investment and innovation, universities advance research, and doctors find professional opportunities without having to migrate elsewhere.
AIIMS Jammu and AIIMS Kashmir can anchor this transformation. Government medical colleges can provide the talent pipeline. Private Multi speciality hospitals, medical colleges can expand treatment choices, prevent exodus of aspiring students to neighbouring states and countries. Of course a huge amount of money is going out along with constant worrisome parent’s always on look out calls /messages on cellophane,” where are you, how are you. Etc.,” confirming the location physically by video chat. More State wide , or even District-level institutions can solve many hassles and decentralise care.But these components must complement Qualitatively rather than compete destructively with one another. The real test lies ahead and has spent decades trying to reduce its dependence on healthcare facilities outside the region. Today, it has a chance to think bigger., but Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Chennai etc are still destinations for desperate patients and their families.
Can Srinagar emerge as a centre for specialised treatment? Can Jammu develop a stronger tertiary healthcare economy? Can district hospitals become dependable centres of secondary and emergency care? Can J&K attract medical professionals, research collaborations and patients from neighbouring regions? These are achievable ambitions, but they demand quality, regulation, affordability and accountability.The real measure of J&K’s healthcare transformation will not be how many hospitals are built, how many beds are added or how many corporate groups enter the market. It will be whether patients trust the system enough to seek treatment here—and whether patients from outside begin choosing J&K for the quality of its medical expertise.That is the difference between a growing healthcare market and an emerging medical hub.J&K has begun building the infrastructure. The next challenge is to build the reputation. “Healthcare is not a game of musical chairs, where one institution grows and another loses its place. We welcome AIIMS Awantipora. In fact, the more quality healthcare institutions Jammu and Kashmir has, the better it is for its people.As for professionals changing institutions, loyalty cannot be legislated, and talent cannot be held hostage. Good institutions attract talent; great institutions give people reasons to stay.
“Kashmir Medical College’s investment of nearly ₹750 crore was not made out of fear of competition, but out of confidence in what we are building. After all, competition is healthy, especially in healthcare.” Those words from the confident team leader ,Mrs. Insha Qazi, Chief Executive Officer of the newly established Kashmir Medical College at Sempora Medical City on my social media group(Medical news and Education) , captures a larger story unfolding in Kashmir’s healthcare sector. The debate is no longer about whether the Valley can sustain world-class medical institutions; it is about how rapidly the sector is evolving and how many lives stand to benefit from that transformation.The journey has been remarkable. From Jhelum Valley Medical College (JVC), a modest initiative established by we Kashmir medical trust , a group of concerned citizens with limited resources but a strong commitment to medical education, to the emergence of Kashmir Medical College(KMC) at Sempora Pampore Medical City, the region has witnessed a profound transformation. What began as a modest effort driven largely by public service and community contribution of few passionate conscious citizens has evolved into an era of substantial investment in healthcare infrastructure, medical education, research, and specialised treatment facilities. It represents not merely growth in size, but a fundamental shift in outlook, from contribution alone to sustained investment in the future of healthcare.
Today, Kashmir is witnessing the rise of two significant healthcare hubs: one centred around Sempora, Pampore, and another around Bemina, Srinagar. Together, they reflect the growing confidence in the Valley’s capacity to become a regional centre for quality healthcare, medical education, and advanced treatment. Their emergence signals a future in which patients increasingly have access to specialised care closer to home.This transformation also brings into focus a larger question: whether healthcare should be viewed as a zero-sum contest between institutions. It should not. The establishment of AIIMS Awantipora, the expansion of private medical education, KMC likes and the growth of modern healthcare infrastructure are not competing developments. They are complementary investments in the well-being of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. A stronger healthcare ecosystem benefits everyone, from patients and students to medical professionals and researchers.During a discussion regarding a proposal for a not-for-profit, state-of-the-art multispecialty cancer hospital, Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha shared with me that Kashmir is increasingly emerging as a destination for healthcare investment and innovation. Whether through public initiatives or private enterprise,LG’s office is facilitating all the entrepreneurs,contributors, and or investors .The larger objective remains the same: expanding access to quality medical care and reducing the burden on families forced to seek treatment outside the region.
If there is a lesson in Kashmir’s healthcare story, it is that progress need not come at another institution’s expense. The real measure of success is not who occupies the chair, but how many more chairs are created for patients, students, doctors, researchers, and future generations. In healthcare, growth is most meaningful when it expands opportunity, strengthens institutions, and ultimately improves lives.
