Diplomat Correspondent
Jammu, (DD): The Jammu and Kashmir High Court expressed strong displeasure over the lack of adequate healthcare infrastructure in rural areas after a shocking incident where a tribal woman was forced to give birth on the road in broad daylight in Inderwal constituency, Kishtwar.
The matter was raised in open court by senior advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice M.A. Chowdhary during the hearing of PIL No. 16/2018 (Balwinder Singh v/s UT of J&K & Ors.), which pertains to the shortage of doctors and paramedics in rural areas of J&K and Ladakh.
The court was irked by the non-compliance of its February 4, 2025 order, wherein both UTs were directed to file responses regarding suggestions to improve healthcare facilities. Expressing anguish over the non-serious approach of the administration, the court issued a stern warning—if the UTs fail to submit their responses within two weeks, the Administrative Secretaries of both UTs must appear in person at the next hearing on March 24, 2025.
This incident has once again brought to the forefront the dire state of healthcare in rural J&K, raising serious questions about government accountability and the urgency of healthcare reforms in the region.(DD)