Nissar H. Gilani
The recent reports of patient deaths in Srinagar and elsewhere in Kashmir are a matter of grave concern, bringing the state of public healthcare under intense scrutiny. A respected weekly online news magazine and a chilling Facebook post by a friend have both served to highlight sad and shocking incidents of alleged negligence and systemic failure.
Case 1: The One-Year-Old at SKIMS and Systemic Failure
The online news weekly featured a devastating story about the father of a one-year-old child who became critically ill at night, showing signs of severe dehydration and distress. The parents initially sought help from a local doctor who, according to their statement, did not bother to physically examine the child. This forced the disappointed parents to rush their child to the prestigious SKIMS hospital during the night.
Upon arrival, the situation reportedly worsened. The doctor on night duty was allegedly asleep in his chamber and initially refused to see the child. It was only after the father’s desperate shouting that a nurse on duty intervened, instructing the parents to procure a necessary injection and an admission ticket. Both resources were tragically unavailable: the admission counter was closed or unmanned, and the required injection was nowhere to be found.
During this chaotic process, the child’s condition deteriorated rapidly. The father confronted the doctor, who finally attempted to attend to the patient, but it was too late. Alas, the child tragically succumbed and passed away in his father’s lap. The story is a powerful, chilling indictment of the failures that can occur during emergency care—failures often rooted in systemic collapse.
Case 2: The Elderly Patient at Dalgate Hospital and Critical Context
A second incident, shared via a Facebook post, recounts the story of an elderly father at a newer hospital in Dalgate, Srinagar (near Durgnath), who died after heart valve surgery. Following the initial procedure, the family complained of excessive blood loss, leading the specialist surgeon to reportedly operate on the patient twice in less than 24 hours. The patient ultimately died due to the excessive blood loss.
However, a relevant perspective has been shared by a medico friend regarding this hospital. They noted that the facility often receives terminally ill patients who are admitted with severe health histories. In such cases, even the best care frequently fails to revive them. The friend cautions that “expecting miracles from the doctors is absolutely foolish,” suggesting this is a likely reason for the reported casualties in such modern medical centers. This context is vital when assessing the overall reported death rate at the hospital.
The Burden of Overloading: A Crushing Reality
There is no doubt that the rush to government-run hospitals across the Union Territory (UT) has tremendously increased. The prestigious SKIMS hospital is now showing signs of crumbling under patient overloading, and our other premier hospital in Srinagar, SMHS Hospital, is no different.
This contrasts sharply with the past. I recall a day in 1988 when a foreign tourist from the USA was brought to SKIMS for a suspected heart condition. He was attended to by many leading doctors, including the late Dr. Jallal and Dr. M. S. Khuroo, and a portable X-ray machine was brought directly into the ICU for scans. The hospital looked calm and spotlessly clean then. My late father was in the same ward. The following day, the tourist remarked that SKIMS looked far better than a hospital in Germany. The environment was serene, and there was absolutely no rush.
Today, the scene is dramatically different. Official data indicates the doctor-to-patient ratio in Jammu and Kashmir is approximately 1:1880 (2025 estimate), which is significantly worse than the WHO recommended standard of 1:1000 and even the Indian national average of 1:834. Look at the OPD lines in any hospital across Kashmir—they are pathetic. Furthermore, the environment is increasingly hostile, with doctors in the recent past being attacked by arrogant attendants—a factor that adds to the immense stress faced by medicos trying to attend to patients faithfully.
Under such difficult and cumbersome circumstances, which combine a crushing patient load, lack of resources, and a hostile environment, the ability of doctors to treat every patient fairly is severely compromised.
The Economic Insult: Specialist Pay and Contractual Agreements
Compounding the problem is the economically depressing reality for highly qualified medical professionals. Many highly qualified specialists are working in government hospitals on contractual agreements with meager monthly pay. Imagine a specialist being asked to work for a salary of approximately ₹85,000–₹90,000 per month, all the while working under immense pressure and being constantly under the line of fire from angry attendants. This situation is shocking and demoralizing.
The specialist’s unhappiness grows when he or she observes an unqualified chemist in Srinagar or elsewhere earning two to three times more. This disparity not only constitutes an insult to years of rigorous education and training but also makes the strain on their future look bleak, inevitably impacting their motivation and dedication.
The Way Forward: A War Footing Approach
The government needs to address these critical issues on a war footing.
Doctor Welfare and Compensation: The pay structure and working conditions for contractual doctors, particularly specialists, must be revised immediately to offer competitive salaries and secure employment, which will attract and retain top talent.
Curbing Malpractice: There must be a rigorous tightening of controls to identify and ban all fake doctors and medical shopkeepers operating with no degrees, curbing their dangerous and illegal practices.
Accountability: Medicos who view patient care only through the prism of money and neglect their duties must be swiftly held accountable and banned from practicing anywhere.
Only by tackling both the systemic issues of overloading and under-resourcing alongside the ethical and economic issues faced by the medical fraternity can the UT government hope to restore the former glory of institutions like SKIMS and ensure quality healthcare for all citizens.
The writer is former Assistant Commissioner of Revenue Department, can be reached at nisargilani57748@gmail.com
