Baramulla, Oct 15: Shafeeqa, a resident of Malpora in Baramulla, has been suffering from severe pain radiating from her back to her chest due to a gallbladder issue. Doctors at the Government Medical College (GMC) Baramulla have advised her to undergo gallbladder surgery.
Despite her worsening condition, Shafeeqa has been waiting for over two months with no surgery date in sight, as the hospital struggles with an overwhelming backlog of patients.
“I have been running from pillar to post to get my gallbladder surgery done,” she said.
“The doctors told me my turn will come after four months. My husband is a poor labourer, and we cannot afford private treatment.”
Her husband expressed anguish over the long wait and repeated hospital visits.
“Whenever she experiences pain, I rush her to GMC Baramulla. Managing transport and medicines has become very difficult. The long delay has worsened her suffering,” he said.
Shafeeqa’s ordeal mirrors the plight of hundreds of patients across Kashmir facing delayed surgeries at government hospitals. At GMC Baramulla, waiting lists for general surgeries now extend up to June 2026, leaving many patients in distress.
The crisis began after March 15, when the government halted surgeries under the Ayushman Bharat Golden Card scheme in private hospitals. The order reserved four key procedures — appendectomy, cholecystectomy (gallbladder surgery), hemorrhoidectomy, and fissure-in-ano — exclusively for government hospitals.
Since then, private hospitals have stopped offering free surgeries under the scheme, forcing thousands of patients to depend solely on government facilities. The resulting surge in patient numbers has stretched waiting lists to several months, severely affecting those in urgent need.
Economically weaker patients like Shafeeqa are among the worst affected, facing worsening medical complications as affordable, cashless treatment options shrink.
