Dr Sanjeev Puri
Traditional methods for treating ailments, passed down from generation to generation, were prevalent in Jammu region. Vaids and Hakims cured patients by Ayurveda and Unani systems respectively. Herbs were used by them on patients. Even elderly of the house were well aware with such methods. Bleeding was practiced as a part of treatment by Vaids and Hakims. Barbers practiced surgical procedures for boils, styes, amputations. Dais were treating gynaecological ailments and conducting home deliveries. Bone setters/pehalwans for fracture management were available. Tooth extractors/setters were stationed on Gumat stairs. Skin ailments were cured by hot springs containing sulphur and minerals (Tattapani) in many areas of Jammu. Witchcraft and sorcery were common practices with patients visiting sayana, pirs and faqirs. Evil-eye was believed to be the cause of many ills with cure by black bands with mustard seeds, black tika on forehead/behind ear or by fanda. Lalle da Baugh in Akhnoor catered to dog bite cases. Astrology was practiced by jyotish is for various ailments by puja and wearing of gem stones. Many of these practices are still being used today.
British missionary introduced Allopathy in Kashmir province of J&K during Maharaja Gulab Singh regime. Maharaja Ranbir Singh encouraged it in 1865 when he offered land for missionary hospital in Srinagar. Medical Department was created for allopathic as well as ayurvedic and unani and amchi systems of medicine headed by Bakshi Ram with 2 CMOs one each for Jammu and Srinagar. The Maharaja got medical texts translated into Urdu, Dogri, Kashmiri and Persian languages for Vaids and Hakims to practice. Maharaja Partap Singh in 1889 laid foundation of Maharaja Hospital in Purani Mandi area, present day Super Bazar on old hospital road of Jammu, later known as Sadar Hospital and ultimately Civil. A female dispensary was also opened in 1890 with funding from the Municipality grants for outpatient services with female indoor services in Sadar Hospital. Maharaja reorganized the Medical Department along with the British Resident. Public health services like provision of clean water for drinking, safe living conditions, creation of municipalities, garbage disposal were introduced with framing of Epidemic Policy. Many dispensaries were opened in the state. Viceroy Lord Hardinge in 1915 laid foundation stone for King Edward Memorial Zenana Hospital (KEMZH) the memory of King Edward VII (Prince of Wales) in front of Cantonment area in the Shalamar Garden adjacent to the Electrical factory, it used to cater outpatient services for females, while Civil Hospital had the admission facility for women. In 1929-30 additional maternity block with indoor facility was added and in 1935-36 the facility was augmented to a 60 bedded hospital. It functioned for 27 years till SMGS Hospital came into existence and this was being used as residential area for SMGS Hospital. In 1938-39, a 10 bedded Zenana Hospital was opened in a rented building in Mirpur. A leper hospital was established outside Jammu in the present Gangyal area in many acres which is still standing with a new general hospital, Rajiv Gandhi Hospital made in present time.
Medical Services flourished under Maharaja Hari Singh who ruled from 1925, he strengthened the system by upgrading hospitals and dispensaries. He introduced the post of Director Medical Services as the administrative head who worked under State Council. This post was held by the British Doctors or Indian doctors retiring from Indian Medical Services. Dr. Govind Lal Vaishanavi was the first State Subject appointed on this post in 1941, followed by Col RN Chopra, RN Parihar, again GL Vaishanavi till 1947. District Medical Officers headed the districts while hospitals had Assistant Surgeons and Sub-Assistant Surgeons. An advance TB Hospital was established in 1937 in Jammu which later was converted into Chest Diseases Hospital in 1955. Presently this hospital is affiliated with GMC Jammu. Batote Sanatorium with TB hutments was made on 80 kanals of land in 1937 for isolation in fresh air and proper care for TB patients. Many patients survived TB including famous urdu writer Manto. Today this sanatorium is still standing, calling for attention to be preserved as part of history. Epidemiologist alongwith staff would manage epidemics and preventable diseases. Special dispensaries were created for venereal diseases. Travelling dispensaries for women on the request of Maharani Katochji, had female doctors and staff travelling 10 days every month to villages till 1940. Medical Laboratory for drug manufacturing and testing, Drug Research Laboratory, started in 1941 on canal road Jammu under Col. RN Chopra. Vaccination Act, 1928, Juvenile Smoking Regulation, 1929, Epidemic Act J&K Village Sanitation Act, 1933, Medical Registration Act, 1941, Venereal Diseases Act, 1943 and Drugs Act, 1943 were introduced. Scholarship Selection Board sponsored various state students qualifying through examination to medicine study outside the state in India/England. He also promoted indigenous system of medicine with Ayurvedic hospitals in Srinagar and Jammu, a Unani dispensaries in Kashmir and Ayurvedic dispensaries in Jammu region. Based on Pavilion system for hospitals with fresh air and natural light, foundation stone laid by Maharaja Hari Singh on May 6, 1940, Shri Maharaja Gulab Singh Hospital (SMGS) in the Shalamar Garden nearby the Sadar Hospital, was established in April 1943 as 172 bedded at the cost of Rupees Eight lakh. Sadar Hospital building was abandoned and later demolished in1950s for Super Bazar. Zenana Hospital was being used as stores and residential accommodation for SMGS was demolished to pave way for the new complex of J&K Assembly. Yuvaraj Karan Singh Hospital was opened in 1943 in Mirpur, built at the cost of Rs.1.8Lakh, presently in the Pak Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK), probably the best district hospital in the state at that time, with no remains available due to rebuilding of the city.
After 1947, Director Health Services continued to be head of all hospitals in State, Dr Krishan Lal Gupta was the last director of J&K till 1983, after which Jammu province had first Director as Dr J.K Gupta with District Hospitals at Kathua, Udhampur, Doda, Rajouri and Poonch and Gandhi Nagar Hospital at Jammu, besides sub district hospitals and dispensaries all over Jammu province. After creation of new districts in 2006, sub district hospitals were upgraded to district hospitals with new buildings at Samba, Reasi, Kishtwar and Ramban.
Jammu Mental Hospital started as asylum for prison taken over by health department in 1950, Psychiatry Hospital was established in 1964 which was taken over by GMC Jammu in 1974. This hospital was shifted to new building in 2015 at Reshamghar colony with old hospital building taken over by Jammu and Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation. Fever Hospital at Rehari was taken over by GMC in 1974 and converted into children hospital. It was replaced by new building in 1984 which collapsed on May2, 1988 with 10 children dead and many injured.
GMC Jammu was started in 1973 with SMGS hospital as the teaching hospital. GMC Hospital was inaugurated in 1993, Super Specialty Hospital in 2013, Maternity Hospital Gandhi Nagar in 2020, State Cancer Institute and Bone & Joint Hospital in 2023.
Dentistry department functioned in SMGS Hospital, later came under GMC Jammu. Later Dental Hospital was established at Amphlla in the children hospital campus which later got affiliated to Indira Gandhi Govt Dental College Jammu in 2004.
Govt. Ayurvedic College in Jammu established in 1962 used to function till 1975, though hospital is still functioning. Govt. Ayurvedic Medical College was started in Akhnoor in 2021.
In Private sector, 1994 saw Acharya Shri Chandra College of Medical Sciences (ASCOMS) as medical college with hospital and in 2006, Institute of Dental Sciences, Sehora, both functioning on the outskirts of Jammu.
2 Trauma Centres came up along National Highway in 2010 at Udhampur (Level-II) and Ramban (Level III) under Trauma Care Programme of Govt. of India
In 2014, new Medical Colleges were sanctioned for Kathua, Rajouri and Doda with attachment of District Hospitals by Govt. of India, while District Hospital Udhampur was upgraded to Medical College in 2022. At present there are 6 district hospitals and 5 Govt. Medical Colleges in Jammu. In 2024, Govt. of India sanctioned North India’s first Homeopathic College at Kathua which is coming up there fast.
Latest hospital to be added in Jammu is AIIMS Jammu at Vijaypur inaugurated by PM Narender Modi in Feb 20, 2024.
(The author is a prominent Eye Specialist presently Joint Director, Jammu & Kashmir State Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization.)
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