Jammu, July 22, 2025 : The recent protest at Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu following the death of a patient due to alleged medical negligence has once again spotlighted the deepening crisis in Jammu and Kashmir’s healthcare system. The incident has sparked demands for sweeping reforms in infrastructure, staffing, and accountability across the region’s public health sector.
While violence against doctors remains unacceptable, the surge in such incidents reflects growing public frustration over repeated cases of medical negligence and system failures.
During this year’s budget session, Health Minister Sakina Itoo disclosed that over 16,000 posts of doctors and paramedics remain vacant across the UT, spanning key departments like Ayush, National Health Mission, and various GMCs. Yet, the minister claimed the system is functioning “smoothly” — a statement at odds with frequent tragedies across hospitals.
Tragic cases include:
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December 2024: Suspension of five doctors at GMC Rajouri after a pregnant woman’s death.
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July 2023: A probe launched after a patient’s foot was amputated at GMC Jammu.
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Recent incident: A critically ill patient, referred from PGI Chandigarh, died at GMC Jammu after suffering a brain hemorrhage. A doctor was assaulted by the patient’s daughter, leading to a strike that ended after police action.
Despite the establishment of new GMCs in Doda, Udhampur, Rajouri, and Kathua, these facilities largely function as referral centers, pushing serious cases to GMC Jammu, further straining an already overloaded hospital.
Public outrage is compounded by the lack of transparency. Reports from past inquiries — including the 2021 oxygen shortage deaths during Covid-19 — remain unreleased, eroding trust in the system.
Earlier this year, the J&K and Ladakh High Court, while hearing a PIL, expressed grave concern over the chronic shortage of medical staff in government-run facilities.
The healthcare sector in Jammu is facing what experts call a “silent emergency.” Without urgent, systemic reforms, the region risks a total collapse of public trust in its medical institutions.
