Srinagar, Oct 16:Despite significant investments and upgrades to Kashmir’s tertiary care hospitals, they remain overwhelmed with patient load, leaving thousands waiting for months for surgical procedures. Patients continue to suffer prolonged pain and uncertainty, a reflection of deeper systemic stress in the region’s healthcare system. Last month, Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, a 60-year-old resident of Srinagar, was admitted to the emergency surgical ward at SMHS Hospital with appendicitis. After initial treatment, he was given a surgery date for February 17, 2026 ,a wait of over four months. “The delayed surgeries are worsening the condition of patients. There should be some priority for those in pain, as long delays can turn fatal,” said Bhat’s attendant. “This is becoming the norm in our public hospitals, and it’s deeply unfair.” He said the situation reflects a growing crisis in Kashmir’s healthcare system, with overburdened doctors, limited infrastructure, and swelling patient numbers pushing hospitals to their limits. A similar case unfolded three weeks ago when Altaf Ahmad, an elderly patient from Pattan, was referred from SMHS to Super Speciality Hospital (SSH) with severe prostate issues and abdominal pain. He, too, was given a long surgery date. “Such patients should be given priority. The doctor said the condition isn’t critical, but the pain doesn’t let me sleep. I can’t afford treatment in a private hospital,” he said. The waiting lists in government hospitals stretch for months and sometimes more.  The reasons are many a shortage of operation theatres, limited staff, and an ever-growing influx of patients from remote districts. Health experts say these long waits often worsen patients’ conditions, making surgeries riskier when they finally happen. “A non-urgent case today can become an emergency in a few weeks,” said a senior surgeon at SKIMS, on condition of anonymity. Altaf’s attendant NasirAhamd said during the waiting time families spend sleepless nights fearing complications, while patients, unable to work, face financial distress. “Many borrow money to seek faster treatment in private hospitals, further pushing them into debt, he said. For patients like them, the wait for surgery has become a painful reminder of how inadequate infrastructure and delays continue to test their patience and worsen their suffering as they struggle for timely medical care. In March this year, the State Health Agency (SHA), Jammu and Kashmir reserved four surgical procedures exclusively for public hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat PradhanMantri Jan ArogyaYojana (PMJAY), thereby excluding them from private healthcare facilities. Although the move was meant to curb the alleged exploitation of ‘Golden Card’ by private hospitals but many say that the government decision has added to the waiting list of patients in the public hospitals and taken a toll on out-of-pocket expenses. However, an official from the Health Department said that doctors generally do not delay surgeries intentionally but take decisions based on the medical condition and urgency of each patient. “Sometimes, a patient’s condition allows for surgery to be scheduled at a later date. However, we will review if there are any lapses and take necessary measures to ensure that surgeries are not delayed unnecessarily. Priority will be given to patients who require timely intervention,” the official said. President Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK), Dr.YousufTak, said people need to go for comprehensive health insurance, saying that greater awareness and promotion are needed among the public. “People should focus on securing proper health insurance coverage,” he said. He added that the PMJAY scheme alone cannot meet everyone’s healthcare needs. “In some states, PMJAY is meant only for the underprivileged, providing Rs 5 lakh per family per year. But in many cases, the cost of treatment for a single serious illness can exceed that amount,” Dr.Tak said.