White Coats, Green Fields: Beyond wards, doctors learn to heal themselves
Srinagar, Oct 12: The ground at the boys' hostel Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar came alive with sounds rarely heard within the walls of a medical hostel, cheers from the football field, laughter around a badminton court. And white coats and stethoscopes were traded for jerseys and sneakers.
Dr Iqbal Saleem Mir, Head Department of Surgery and Chairman of GMC’s Sports Committee, stood at the edge of the field, his tone both resolute and reflective.
“This is not just about games. It is part of a broader initiative by the National Medical Council to ensure physical and mental well-being of medical students, residents, and faculty. Think about it, doctors spend days sometimes nights, seeing nothing but suffering, death, exhaustion and healing. A duty can stretch thirty-six hours. A doctor meant to treat fifty patients may have to see two hundred. Even the strongest body and mind can give up. That is when conflicts start.”
His voice softened.
“But let me also say this, our population must realise doctors are not gods. We cannot perform miracles. We do what we can within the limits of medical science. When we fail, it is not neglect, it is the limitation of human knowledge. We want people to treat us as human beings, not infallible beings. And events like this sport remind us of our humanity too.”
On the football ground, Faisal Manzoor, a third-year MBBS student, jogged off after his match, his face glowing with sweat and a broad smile. For him, the 2-day sports event meant something more than distraction.
“This sports event is not just symbolic,” he said firmly. “Our curriculum leaves no space for leisure. We study all year under immense pressure. This gives us a chance to showcase our talent, to breathe, and to bond with seniors and teachers. On the field, we are equals. We are teammates. And that connection is priceless.”
For Dr Baiza Manzoor, the event was less about medals and more about reclaiming balance.
“Doctors live stressful lives. It is either clinics, exams, or the wards. Once you are here on the ground, it is a different world. You play, you interact with juniors, seniors, and even faculty. It creates an environment we often miss, healthy, interactive, alive. And beyond that, it contributes directly to our physical health. We spend so much time sitting, studying, or treating patients. Here, at least, we move, we sweat, we laugh.”
She adds, “Society often assumes doctors should only treat patients and nothing else. But we are no different from engineers, businessmen, or entrepreneurs who also need breaks. If others need rest for their minds and bodies, why not us? Allah made us all the same. And yes, many of us are talented beyond medicine. Events like this give us the space to show that.”
An elder voice, Dr Muzaffar, the renowned paediatrician and former chairman of the GMC sports committee, had watched the day’s games with quiet satisfaction.
“I am delighted to see this continuing,” he said warmly. “When I chaired the committee years ago, we started these events, and today, they have only grown stronger. Medical students are buried in books, doctors in hospital duties, where is the time for physical activity. Sports do more than relieve stress, they make us fitter, sharper, and more resilient.”
As the evening shadows lengthened across the boy's hostel of GMC Srinagar, one truth lingered. Doctors may spend most of their days battling sickness, despair, and human fragility, but here, on these fields, they found strength, joy, and humanity. The games were not a diversion, they were a reminder. Beneath the white coats, the doctors of Kashmir are humans first, humans who also need to run, play, and breathe.
