The incident at SMHS Hospital, where an attendant assaulted a doctor after their patient reportedly died due to neglect, highlights a deeply troubling and complex issue within our healthcare system. While any act of violence is unequivocally unacceptable, this event serves as a stark reminder of the underlying frustrations and systemic failures that often lead to such desperate outbursts.
The core of the problem lies in the perceived lack of empathy and adequate care provided by medical professionals, particularly during critical situations. For doctors, dealing with illness and death may become a routine, a part of their daily professional lives. However, for a patient and their family, a critical illness is a life-altering, highly emotional, and often terrifying experience. The disconnect between these two realities is profound. When a patient, who has come to the hospital as a last resort, feels unheard, neglected, or that their loved one is not receiving the attention they desperately need, the sense of helplessness can quickly turn into anger and despair.
The situation in emergency wards across major city hospitals like SKIMS, SMHS, Bone & Joint, and Lal Ded is indeed dire. Overcrowding, coupled with a severe shortage of senior doctors and specialists, places an immense burden on the few junior doctors who are often left to manage a deluge of critical cases. This not only compromises the quality of care but also contributes to the stress and burnout among the medical staff, potentially leading to the very behaviour that patients and attendants find so distressing. Work pressure, long hours, and inadequate resources are often cited as reasons for a lack of bedside manner, but these reasons, while understandable to an extent, do not alleviate the suffering of those seeking help.
It is abundantly clear that a fundamental shift is desperately needed in how our hospitals, particularly emergency and critical care units, operate. The government must initiate a comprehensive re-evaluation and overhaul of the entire system. This overhaul is not merely a suggestion; it is an urgent imperative.

The core of the problem lies in the perceived lack of empathy and adequate care provided by medical professionals, particularly during critical situations. For doctors, dealing with illness and death may become a routine, a part of their daily professional lives. However, for a patient and their family, a critical illness is a life-altering, highly emotional, and often terrifying experience. The disconnect between these two realities is profound. When a patient, who has come to the hospital as a last resort, feels unheard, neglected, or that their loved one is not receiving the attention they desperately need, the sense of helplessness can quickly turn into anger and despair.

A significant increase in staffing is non-negotiable. We need more doctors, nurses, and support staff, especially in emergency departments, to ease the crushing workload and ensure that medical professionals can dedicate the necessary time and attention to each patient.
The constant presence of senior doctors and specialists in emergency and critical care units is paramount. Their invaluable experience and expertise are crucial for accurate diagnoses, timely interventions, and effective management of complex cases that junior doctors alone cannot always handle.
Furthermore, beyond medical proficiency, there is an urgent need for improved training in patient communication and empathy for all hospital staff. This includes equipping them with skills to convey information clearly, manage expectations compassionately, and demonstrate genuine concern, even amidst the most chaotic situations.
Addressing the pervasive overcrowding demands an upgrade in infrastructure and equitable resource allocation. This means more beds, modern equipment, and better-organised waiting areas. Resources must be strategically distributed to ensure that all necessary tools and medications are readily available when lives hang in the balance.
Establishing clear and accessible grievance redressal mechanisms is crucial. Patients and their attendants need effective channels to voice their concerns without fear. A robust system for addressing complaints proactively can prevent frustrations from escalating into unfortunate incidents like the one witnessed at SMHS.
Finally, while supporting our medical community, there must also be a culture of accountability. Instances of negligence and unprofessional conduct must be addressed appropriately to rebuild and maintain the vital trust between the medical fraternity and the public it serves.
The recent incident at SMHS Hospital is a symptom of a much larger systemic illness. It is a distress signal that demands immediate and comprehensive action. Patients come to hospitals with hope, seeking solace and healing. It is the government’s responsibility to ensure that this hope is met with professional care, empathy, and a system that prioritizes human life above all else. Failing to do so will only perpetuate a cycle of frustration, anger, and further erosion of public trust in our healthcare institutions.

BK News

Srinagar: Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) J&K hosted Health Conclave 2024, themed ‘Health Reimagined: Strategies for a Better Tomorrow’ at Hotel Golden Tulip, Srinagar on Saturday. The event brought together government officials, healthcare experts, and industry leaders to deliberate on the challenges and opportunities shaping healthcare in Jammu & Kashmir.

Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Transport, Science & Technology, Information Technology, Youth Services & Sports, and ARI & Trainings Departments, Satish Sharma, was the chief guest at the occassion. Secretary, Health & Medical Education Department, Dr Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, addressed the gathering virtually as the Guest of Honour.

Chief Guest, according to a statement issued by CII, emphasized the need to address mental health issues, promote Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in healthcare, and enhance corporate social responsibility (CSR) outreach through initiatives like mobile clinics. He remarked, “Efforts to improve the healthcare sector must focus on equitable access, innovative partnerships, and targeted outreach in underserved areas.”

Dr Syed Abid Rasheed Shah highlighted three key focus areas for the state’s healthcare policy- Enhancing PPP models for healthcare delivery, addressing healthcare access in rural and remote regions, mitigating human resource shortages and improving funding for government schemes. According the statement, he assured the gathering that all pending claims under the AYUSHMAN Bharat scheme would be cleared by December 31, 2024.

The conclave hosted different dignitaries from Government including Salman Sagar, MLA Hazratbal who in his address said, “We must prioritize healthcare in J&K by addressing gaps in the public health sector and tackling the issue of spurious drugs.” Dr Sajad Shafi, MLA Uri, said “Affordable healthcare and private sector involvement in remote areas are essential for comprehensive healthcare access.” Waheed ur Rehman Para, MLA Pulwama, said, “Key healthcare challenges faced by providers in J&K will be addressed in the upcoming assembly session.” Sanjiv M Gadkar, CEO, State Health Agency, UT of J&K, AB-PMJAY said “Revised package pricing under AYUSHMAN Bharat and extended budgetary allocations will significantly improve healthcare coverage.”

The event also featured leading healthcare professionals and industry experts, including- Dr Shanty Sajan, Group CEO, Paras Healthcare, said, ‘Leveraging AI and technology is critical for making healthcare accessible to the masses.” Dr Shuchin Bajaj, Founder & Director, Ujala Cygnus Healthcare Services said “Through our CSR initiatives, we aim to bring healthcare benefits to underserved areas in J&K.”

Other eminent speakers included- Probal Ghosal, Chairman & Director, Ujala Cygnus Healthcare Services, Aijaz Khan, Executive Vice President, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co. Ltd, Nigam Gupta, Managing Director, Hexa Med Technologies (India) Pvt. Ltd, Faizan Mir, President, J&K Private Hospitals & Dialysis Centers Association & Managing Director, Shadab Hospital, Iqram Ali Shafiee, Convener, CII J&K Healthcare Panel & Managing Director, Shafiee Healthcare Pvt. Ltd and Sandeep Mengi, Co-Convener, CII J&K Healthcare Panel & Director, Maharishi Dayanand Hosp & Med Research Centre

The conclave explored pressing issues such as improving healthcare accessibility, addressing policy gaps, and fostering robust public-private collaborations. The discussions underscored the need for equitable healthcare infrastructure, enhanced insurance coverage, and focused interventions in rural and underserved areas.

The event concluded with actionable recommendations to strengthen Jammu & Kashmir’s healthcare ecosystem, ensuring inclusivity and resilience while setting a roadmap for sustainable growth.

Need to impart healthy and active lifestyle among youngsters

Dr Taizeena Khan

Dr Taizeena Khan

World Health Organisation (WHO) defines health as complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. At an early stage children not only need love and care, but also a proper road map for a healthy lifestyle. This road map should be devised by keeping in mind all the parameters of health and wellness. It should not only focus on the physical and mental health of our children but also on the social aspects of it. To achieve this goal we need to enhance the skills of parents. The health and wellness plan from the birth of a child will decide the future of our coming generations.

In recent years of my clinical practice as a physiotherapist, I have noticed more youngsters coming to me with musculoskeletal disorders. This abrupt rise of my younger generation patients, their lack of physical activity, unnecessary stress and lack of social set-up that could provide them with a platform to practice a healthy lifestyle at an early stage urged me to choose this topic today.

In recent years children as young as 12-18 years old have been coming to me with musculoskeletal disorders. While consulting/counselling these youngsters I have come to the conclusion that there is not only a lack of physical activities but also a lot of avoidable stress leading to the unhealthy choice of lifestyle in this age group these days.

To a large extent, I believe that technology has also played a great role in this. No doubt that technology has become an integral component of our daily lives. Technology has, to a great extent, made our lives easier but at the same time, it has done that at the cost of our physical, mental and our social lives. This all begins when we as a parent make a choice of offering a smartphone to our 6-month-old so that we can feed him. Children are easily attracted to new toys and a smartphone with so many features is no doubt the best form of toy for them. It has a cartoon that speaks to them anytime they hit the button. The best fictional stories they could ever watch and everything they could get their hands on. Meanwhile, we don’t realize the cost of bringing this technology to them at this early stage of their life. We happily make our child technology-dependent too early for our own convenience, as it is not only saving us time in this fast-moving world, but we also think that we are making our child happy.

Physical inactivity in children is becoming a growing problem day by day and has been considered an epidemic according to research.

WHO reports that about 70% of boys and up to 88% of girls under the age of 10 don’t get the physical activity they need for their age.

Think back to the times when we were growing up as kids. How did we spend our time in school as well as at home? There were no computers, no smartphones, and almost no technology. There was a good balance between our books, TV time and playing games. We were encouraged to go out and play. We had more real friends than social media friends whom we could talk and discuss our stress with. We also used to spend a lot of time on our vacation with our extended family members, especially with our grandparents. We used to listen to their stories, the folk stories, their real-life experiences etc. I remember going on for long walks with my grandfather and on the way bothering him with lots of inquisitive questions about the trees, the birds, or whatever we saw on our way. This helped me appreciate nature, love animals and observe things keenly.

But times have changed. Children today are hardly seen playing after school or having a good social life. Pressure from parents to perform better in academics, more and more access to technology and lack of physical activity is leading to overall physical, mental and social problems in their lives.

This sedentary lifestyle arising due to various problems discussed above is the leading cause of childhood obesity, hypertension, cardiac problems juvenile diabetes, anxiety, aggression, depression and other behavioural changes and musculoskeletal disorders in children. Delayed growth and development in infants and toddlers are also seen due to changing patterns of raising our children and more and more technology taking over our burdens. In recent years, more infants and toddlers are facing delayed speech and learning disabilities.

Investing time and effort in early childhood development starting from infancy is pertinent to stop this epidemic and give our children the best life. Plan a proper balanced healthy lifestyle program for your child’s health and wellness.

Here are some tips to lay a foundation for the health and well-being of our children whose benefits last a lifetime.

·  Do not introduce technology to your children at a very early age.

·  Instead introduce games which stimulate their brains, e.g. educational and learning toys such as building blocks, numbers, shapes, colours etc.

·  Spend more and more time with them while they are still in their infancy. Read a storybook for them, this encourages them to read and write.

·   Feed them while they are observing nature and not offering them a smartphone, this helps them enjoy their food and develop their taste buds better.

·   Encourage them to feed themselves as soon as you think they are ready for it.

·   Encourage them to do small independent activities e.g. feeding themselves, combing, brushing, tying shoe laces, etc. This will not only help them stay physically fit but also independent.

·   Introducing a healthy balanced diet plan and avoiding junk food is imperative.

·   Regularize the feeding and sleeping time.

·   Encourage going to bed early and do not give them access to technology at bedtime.

·   Limit the technology, TV and video game time, e.g. you can allow technology time which includes any form of technology only 1-2 hours a day.

·   Encourage them to spend more time playing games with friends, and extended family members, especially grandparents.

·   You can also select a day to play with your kids e.g. weekends, this will help you bond with your kids and also help you and your kids stay physically fit.

·  Encourage them to spend more time playing outdoors.

·  Encourage them to spend time with grandparents, let them listen to their real-life experiences and learn from them, and encourage physical activity as much as possible.

·  Bond with your kids. Listen to them with open mind and heart. Do not put pressure on them to achieve academic or any other goals in life, instead encourage them to do well in life by giving them all the support they need.

·  Last but not least be a practical example for your own kids. Practice a healthy lifestyle and they will follow you.

The author is a physiotherapist. She has done BPT from Bangalore, PGDMS from London, MBA from USA, MIAP. Besides, she has fellowships in Geriatric Rehabilitation, Pediatric Rehabilitation and is a certified women’s health exercise expert. She can be reached at drtaizeenkhanphysio@gmail.com