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GMC Srinagar principal meets journalists, Assures action against doctors

by News Desk

The Principal of Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, Dr. Iffat Hassan Shah, on Saturday met with members of the Press Club of Kashmir, including journalists who were allegedly assaulted by protesting doctors during a strike at SMHS Hospital earlier this week.

The meeting came in the wake of an incident on Wednesday, when postgraduate doctors staged a protest on the hospital premises. Several journalists covering the event were reportedly manhandled by some of the striking doctors.

Mohammad Saleem Pandit, President of the Press Club of Kashmir, who led the delegation, said three media persons were physically assaulted, and a police officer trying to intervene was also pushed aside.

“This kind of treatment of journalists is unacceptable,” Pandit said, urging the hospital administration to take the matter seriously.

Dr. Iffat Hassan Shah assured the journalists that the matter is under formal inquiry by a government-appointed officer.

“The role of doctors in the assault on media personnel will be specifically addressed in the inquiry,” she said, promising that appropriate action will be taken based on its findings.

She also emphasised the need to repair strained relations between the media and the medical community, noting that such incidents undermine mutual respect and cooperation.

A police officer from Shaheed Gunj Police Station, also present during the meeting, was requested by the journalists to lodge an FIR against those involved.

The officer responded that initial inquiries have begun and confirmed that a formal case would be filed once the inquiry identifies those responsible.

The journalists also flagged concerns that some Medical Representatives were seen supporting the striking doctors, a detail they urged authorities to include in the investigation.

The meeting concluded on what attendees described as a “positive note,” with journalists expressing their continued support for Kashmir’s healthcare institutions, while underlining the need for accountability and respect for press freedom.