In the wake of a recent incident at SMHS Hospital in Srinagar that disrupted healthcare services, Health Minister Sakina Yatoo visited the hospital to assess the situation firsthand. During her visit, the minister expressed serious concern over the episode and its impact on patient care, and assured that accountability will be ensured at all levels. Speaking to reporters at the hospital, Sakina Itoo revealed that an official inquiry has been launched to determine the exact circumstances of the incident. “Whosoever is found involved, be it a doctor or a staff member, will face strict action. No one will be spared if found guilty,” she asserted. The minister also disclosed that some doctors abandoned their duties in the aftermath of the incident, which left many patients unattended ...

A 16-year-old girl from Tanta village in Jammu Kashmir’s Doda district died following a surgery at Government Medical College (GMC) Doda, sparking serious allegations of medical negligence and mismanagement from her grieving family. The deceased, Sania Bano, daughter of Shabir Ahmed, had been admitted for surgery on Thursday morning. “She was admitted around 9 a.m. and walked into the operation theatre on her own. The procedure was supposed to be over within an hour, but till evening, we were given no clear answers. They kept saying she’s unconscious. Around 5 p.m., they suddenly asked us to take her to SKIMS Srinagar. But I suspect she had already died long before,” her father told the media. Relatives accompanying the family alleged that the doctors and staff at GMC Doda were un...

Resident doctors at Government Medical College Srinagar broke their silence on Wednesday, a day after one of their colleagues was allegedly assaulted by a patient's relative inside the emergency ward of SMHS Hospital. In a detailed statement released to the The Kashmiriyat, the resident doctors said the incident occurred at around midnight on July 22 when a junior doctor on emergency duty was physically assaulted and publicly humiliated while attending to patients. Family of the patient who passed away denied the claims of the doctors and said nobody checked his brother in law. "The said doctor was laughing and talking with his colleague," said the relative of the deceased. The statement said the doctor, despite being attacked, continued to perform his duties throughout the night....

The Jammu Kashmir admin has authorized the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to carry out periodic field firing practice at the 100-Meter Baffle Firing Range located at Group Centre CRPF Lethpora (RTC Srinagar) in District Pulwama for a period of 10 years. As per a notification issued by the Home Department, a copy of which lies with news agency JKNS, In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 9 of the Manoeuvres, Field Firing And Artillery Practice Act, 1938, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir hereby authorizes CRPF to carry out periodically the Field Firing Practice throughout the area notified as 100 Meter Baffle Firing Range vide notification S.O-547 of 2024 dated 26.11.2024 at Group Centre CRPF Lethpora (RTC Srinagar) District Pulwama for a period of 10 ye...

An escalating drug crisis is tightening its grip on Jammu Kashmir, with official figures revealing massive narcotic hauls and a steady rise in arrests over the past five years, pointing to a deepening network of supply chains, rising local abuse, and a state struggling to contain the threat. Over 1.12 lakh kilograms of drugs were seized in Jammu Kashmir between 2018 and 2022, according to official data shared by the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Lok Sabha on July 22. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, while citing figures from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), said the seizures reflect the scale of the drug problem in the region. In 2018, enforcement agencies in J\&K confiscated 19,353.68 kilograms of narcotics, along with 87,713 tablets or capsules cl...

While road accidents across India have shown a declining trend, the erstwhile state of Jammu Kashmir is witnessing a disturbing rise in both crashes and fatalities. According to data presented in the Rajya Sabha by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, the number of road accidents in Jammu and Kashmir rose from 5,452 in 2021 to 6,092 in 2022, marking an increase of over 12 percent. Fatalities also saw a marginal but worrying increase, from 774 deaths in 2021 to 805 in 2022. Ladakh, which has been tracked as a separate entity only since 2020, saw a much sharper spike. The number of accidents in the region climbed from 236 in 2021 to 374 in 2022, an increase of nearly 58 percent. The death toll more than doubled during the same period, with 62 fatalities report...

The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has said it is deeply saddened by the passing of its "dedicated employee", Mr. Javaid Ahmad, who breathed his last at SMHS Hospital Srinagar. Mr. Javaid Ahmad was known for his unwavering integrity, tireless commitment, and years of sincere service to the Corporation. His contributions to the functioning of SMC will be remembered with respect and gratitude. In an official statement, the SMC expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. “We have lost a valuable member of our team whose legacy will continue to inspire us. May Allah (SWT) grant him eternal peace and give strength to his family during this difficult time,” the statement read. Colleagues, friends, and officials at SMC gathered to pay tribute to Javaid Ahmad, recalling ...

The water levels in River Jhelum and its tributaries remain below danger marks, officials from the Irrigation and Flood Control Department said on Wednesday. Jhelum at Sangam was flowing at 4.50 ft, which is below the 21 ft danger mark. At Munshibagh in Srinagar, it was at 4.75 ft (against the 18 ft danger level), while Asham recorded 3.46 ft. Similarly, the water level at Wullar Lake was 1575.45 metres—below its capacity mark of 1578.00 metres. Among tributaries, all key streams including Vishow Nallah (3.11 m), Rambiyara (0.05 m), Lidder (0.38 m), Doodhganga (0.59 m), and Sindh Nallah (1.03 m) are flowing well below alert levels. “While Kashmir remains safe in terms of flooding, intense showers forecast in parts of Jammu could trigger flash flood-like situations in vulnerable sp...

Prominent journalist associations from Kashmir have strongly condemned the harassment of journalists by protesting doctors at SMHS Hospital in Srinagar on Wednesday. According to multiple reports, the journalists were at the hospital to report on the doctors’ strike following an alleged assault on a medical professional. While attempting to cover both sides of the story, reporters were allegedly obstructed, insulted, and in at least one case, physically cornered and forced to leave the premises. Terming the incident a “direct attack on press freedom,” both JUOK and GPA expressed serious concern over what they described as an “alarming trend of hostility towards media professionals in public spaces.” “No protest, regardless of its cause, can justify manhandling or threatening journ...