J&K’s Critical Healthcare Crisis

Even after more than 77 years of Independence, Jammu and Kashmir continues to grapple with the unfulfilled promise of a robust healthcare system especially in the domain of critical and emergency medical services. It is both alarming and disheartening that for lifesaving surgeries such as neurosurgery, cardiac interventions, and trauma care, residents of J&K are still compelled to seek treatment outside the Union Territory, often in Punjab, Delhi, or Mumbai. This harsh reality lays bare the chronic neglect of the region’s health infrastructure by successive governments-both at the state and central levels. Notably, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jammu, has recently begun offering neurosurgical operative services, with the promise that patients will no longer need to travel out of the region for such procedures. While this is a welcome and commendable step, it fails to conceal the broader truth: Jammu and Kashmir still suffers from a severe shortage of critical care services. Despite tall claims and recurring assurances, the ground reality remains grim. Tertiary care is highly centralized, confined primarily to the Government Medical College (GMC) in Jammu and a handful of institutions in Srinagar. For over ten districts ranging from Kathua, Samba, and Udhampur to Reasi, Ramban, Doda, Rajouri, and Poonch—GMC Jammu acts as the sole beacon for advanced medical treatment. This overburdened institution, though commendable in its efforts, cannot alone carry the weight of such a vast, geographically challenging, and medically underserved region.

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One of the most glaring deficiencies is the lack of advanced surgical infrastructure in district hospitals. While much of the country has moved toward decentralization of specialist care, district hospitals in J&K still lack the capacity to perform even routine surgeries—let alone complex procedures like neurosurgery or cardiac bypasses. The absence of trauma centres, ICUs equipped with modern life-support systems, and adequately trained surgical teams renders these hospitals ineffective in handling emergencies. Most function merely as referral centres, further clogging the already strained tertiary care system. The consequences of this systemic failure are often tragic. In critical emergencies such as acci