Hospitals need oversight

Health Minister Sakina Itoo revealed recently that the senior doctors frequently leave hospitals in the charge of their juniors to attend their private clinics. She made the statement in an interview to this newspaper following her surprise inspection of the Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Pattan where she found only two out of 12 doctors present. The rest, as she bluntly pointed out, were either “on rest” or busy attending their private clinics. This incident is not just about one hospital, it represents, by and large, the state of affairs at many, if not all of the hospitals.

The minister’s statements are refreshingly candid. Her acknowledgement that many doctors have been posted at the same place for over a decade, some for 15 years, and run private clinics nearby, is a truth the system has long chosen to ignore. What this example shows is that it may not be a shortage of doctors that ails the healthcare system but the unauthorised absence of the senior doctors from the hospitals, and their delegation of responsibility to their juniors.

So, this is not an issue of manpower shortage alone. It is about accountability, or rather, the lack of it. When a roster system allows ten doctors to be “off-duty” while only two handle an entire hospital’s load, it’s not inefficiency; it’s negligence. Kashmir’s rural poor, who depend entirely on government hospitals, are left to the mercy of an indifferent system. This can be alarming in emergency care settings where experience can mean the difference between life and death.

Minister Itoo’s warning of “strict action” and her promise to overhaul duty rosters are necessary first steps, but the change must go deeper. Surprise inspections must become routine, not headline events. Duty rosters should be transparent, accessible, and digitally monitored. Most importantly, private practice during official hours should invite suspension, no exceptions, no excuses.

Kashmir’s doctors, many of whom serve with sincerity under difficult conditions, also need protection from a culture that rewards those with connections rather than those with commitment. Accountability must be paired with fairness and support.