The latest National Statistical Office survey confirms what people have long known: government hospitals remain the backbone of healthcare in the region. But when more than 80 percent of hospitalisations take place in public hospitals, any weakness in that system directly threatens the health of the majority.

The numbers are striking. Eight out of every ten patients needing admission depend on government hospitals. In rural J&K, the dependence is even sharper:  government hospitals are often the only realistic option for the........

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