The three-month-long delay in the gallbladder, appendix, piles, and hernia surgeries at GMC Jammu is a glaring symptom of a deeper healthcare management crisis in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. With the suspension of such procedures under the Ayushman Bharat Sehat Scheme in private hospitals since March, the entire burden has shifted to Government institutions-overloading them beyond their operational capacity. GMC Jammu, already stretched with limited infrastructure and overworked staff, is now witnessing an unmanageable influx of patients. Surgeries once performed smoothly in private hospitals are now pending for up to 12 weeks, even for conditions where delays can lead to infections or complications. Such a scenario raises crucial questions: Who are the patients in this growing queue? Are they all from Jammu City, or are they being redirected from adjoining districts where district hospitals or new GMCs could be underperforming or underutilised? The Health Department must urgently conduct a comprehensive audit of surgical backlogs not just in GMC Jammu but across all district hospitals and new medical colleges in the UT. If other institutions have shorter wait times or underutilised operation theatres, a rational redistribution of patients can offer immediate relief. The referral system should be streamlined to allow patients to be moved to available facilities without bureaucratic delays.
Moreover, surgical services in Government hospitals must be bolstered through optimal resource allocation. The UT should explore rationalising and rotating skilled surgical staff, including surgeons, anaesthetists, and operation theatre technicians, across hospitals depending on patient load. Extending operation theatre hours in low-burden hospitals or establishing dedicated surgical camps at district levels could also help ease the pressure on GMC Jammu. At the policy level, the recent delisting of common surgical procedures from the Ayushman Bharat Sehat Scheme must be re-evaluated. Delays in routine surgeries-particularly for vulnerable, financially weak patients-can result in avoidable suffering or even death. It is important that the Health Department treats this crisis as a public health emergency. The time to act is now-through data-driven interventions, resource rationalisation, and compassionate policymaking-to ensure timely and equitable medical care for all.
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