Srinagar, July 23 (JKNS): The Jammu & Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Wednesday expressed deep anguish and strongly condemned the recent brazen assault on a resident doctor at SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, by an attendant in full public view.
This disturbing incident comes close on the heels of a similar attack on another doctor at Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu.
In a statement, issued here to news agency JKNS, the National Media Coordinator of the Association, Mir Zubair, said that such repeated acts of violence against healthcare professionals are not only deeply troubling but also reflect a dangerous and growing trend that undermines the morale, safety, and dignity of the medical fraternity.
“Doctors are frontline defenders of public health. They often work under immense pressure, during long shifts, and in emotionally charged environments, especially in tertiary-care hospitals like SMHS and GMC. Any form of violence against them is unjustifiable and poses a grave threat to the integrity and functionality of our healthcare system,” he said.
“This is a brazen attack on the very sanctity of healthcare. Srinagar Police must act swiftly and decisively to uphold the law and bring the perpetrator to justice. Such acts are utterly reprehensible and deserve unequivocal condemnation from every corner of society, no caveats, no justifications,” he said.
He further said that, “The physical assault on a doctor by an attendant in full public view is both shameful and shocking. If the attendant had any grievance, it should have been reported to hospital authorities through the proper channels. Slapping a doctor who is there to save lives is not only unacceptable, it is inhumane. Hospitals are meant to be places of healing, not sites of violence.”
While acknowledging the emotional stress that emergencies can cause for patients’ families, Zubair added, “No amount of panic or distress can justify physically or verbally attacking doctors who work selflessly to save lives. Violence against healthcare professionals must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.”
The Association urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Health Minister Sakina Itoo to take immediate cognizance of these alarming developments. “We demand the institution of strict safety protocols, deployment of adequate security personnel in hospitals, installation of CCTV surveillance systems, and the formation of hospital protection committees to safeguard doctors and other medical staff,” the statement added.
He asserted that, “A zero-tolerance policy towards any form of violence against healthcare workers must be strictly enforced. Swift, transparent, and exemplary legal action must be taken against the culprits so that justice is served and such incidents are not repeated,” it reads.
Zubair added that, these assaults inflict severe emotional trauma on young resident doctors, lower morale across the healthcare workforce, and disrupt an already overstretched system. “If such incidents go unaddressed, they will dissuade future generations from joining the noble profession of medicine,” he warned, reads the statement. (JKNS)
