Doctors on Strike at SMHS Hospital

Patients Bear the Brunt Amid Allegations of Negligence

Editor’s Desk

SRINAGAR, JULY 23: In a grim reflection of the fragile state of healthcare in Jammu and Kashmir, doctors at Srinagar’s SMHS Hospital have gone on strike, leaving patients in the lurch and raising alarm over the collapse of essential medical services.

The strike was triggered after an on-duty doctor was assaulted by an attendant earlier this week, prompting the filing of an FIR. In response, Resident and Postgraduate (PG) doctors have halted services, demanding enhanced security cover inside the hospital premises. However, while their call for safety is not unfounded, the blanket withdrawal of medical services has sparked outrage among patients and their families.

The hospital, one of the valley’s major tertiary care institutions, has come under sharp criticism, with dozens of patients alleging gross negligence and abandonment. Some unconfirmed reports even suggest that lives may have been lost due to the disruption in care,a claim that, if proven true, would underline the serious consequences of the ongoing deadlock.

“My father has been lying in the emergency for hours. There is no doctor, no help, only chaos,” said Irfan Ahmad, whose elderly parent was admitted for an emergency. Similar scenes of desperation are being reported from wards across the hospital, with critical departments running on skeletal staff and most non-emergency services suspended.

This standoff raises serious questions about the management of the healthcare system in Jammu and Kashmir. On one hand, assaults on medical professionals cannot be condoned and deserve swift legal action. On the other, patients, many from remote areas, cannot be left to suffer, particularly in government hospitals where alternative care is either unaffordable or inaccessible.

The health department’s silence and apparent inaction have only worsened the crisis. While the doctors demand security, the public demands accountability.

“If doctors are unsafe, we stand with them. But abandoning patients is not the answer,” said a relative of another patient.

With tension mounting, the onus is now on hospital administration and the J&K Health Department to resolve the impasse swiftly. Ensuring the safety of healthcare workers and uninterrupted medical care are not mutually exclusive, both are non-negotiable pillars of any functional health system.

Until then, SMHS remains a grim reminder to a broken system where those needing care the most are left to fend for themselves