The incident at Lal Ded Hospital in Srinagar, where a so-called final-year medical student was caught filming videos inside restricted areas such as the labour room and operation theatre, has rightly triggered outrage across Kashmir. The video, now viral on social media, is not just a breach of protocol-it is a shocking exhibition of immaturity, arrogance, and disregard for basic medical ethics. For those entrusted with human lives, such childish behaviour is inexcusable. The presence of patients, some undergoing critical treatment, in the background of these casually shot clips-complete with selfies and commentary-amounts to an appalling violation of patient privacy and dignity. Medical professionals are bound by a code of conduct that is not optional. Hospitals are spaces of healing, not stages for social media theatrics.
The rules regarding photography and videography within hospital premises are crystal clear. Especially in institutions like Lal Ded, a premier maternity hospital, the sanctity of wards, ICUs, and operation theatres is paramount. These areas are protected by institutional guidelines and legal and ethical frameworks meant to shield vulnerable patients from exploitation and intrusion. Mobile phones may be permitted for emergency use, but they are not props for entertainment. That this conduct came from senior students in their final year-on the threshold of becoming full-fledged doctors-only worsens the matter. If discipline is not instilled at this stage, what precedent does it set for the profession?
A committee has been formed to look into the matter, but the issue must not end there. The Health and Medical Education Department must probe whether this is an isolated incident or if there is a pattern of such violations. It is essential that the inquiry report be made public and that exemplary disciplinary action be taken-not just as a deterrent, but as a message that such misconduct will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Medical institutions must be safe spaces for patients-not playgrounds for immature behaviour. The public, whose trust forms the backbone of any healthcare system, deserves assurance that their dignity will not be compromised for a few moments of social media attention.
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