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 life-saving 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 but 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.
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 accidents or neurological events, patients lose precious time—often the difference between life and death—trying to reach Jammu or Srinagar. The mountainous terrain and poor road connectivity exacerbate these delays, making timely treatment nearly impossible in many cases.
This crisis is not merely a legacy issue—it is a continuing governance failure. Over the years, the health sector in J&K has received significant funding, support through central schemes, and repeated mentions in policy documents. What it sorely lacks is effective implementation, institutional accountability, and long-term vision. The abrogation of Article 370 was hailed as a turning point to usher in holistic development. But even five years later, the healthcare landscape has seen more rhetoric than reform.
Healthcare cannot be postponed, politicized, or deprioritized. It must be treated as a non-negotiable pillar of development. No region can truly progress if its citizens are forced to travel hundreds of kilometers simply to stay alive.
The time has come for the government to walk the talk. The people of Jammu and Kashmir deserve more than empty promises—they deserve accessible, timely, and world-class healthcare services at their doorstep. AIIMS Jammu is the better option for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and it must be developed into a fully functional centre of excellence, equipped with 24×7 emergency services, state-of-the-art ICUs, trauma centres, and specialized departments.
Only then can the region begin to shed its longstanding dependence on hospitals in Delhi, Chandigarh, or Mumbai and chart a new course toward medical self-sufficiency and dignity in healthcare.
