By Dr. Fiaz Maqbool Fazili

When sudden sickness strikes, families in Kashmir enter emergency departments hoping for timely, dependable care, knowing every moment matters.

These moments expose the pressures on hospitals and doctors and reveal the gaps in systems that are supposed to protect lives.

Questions rise immediately in every emergency: where will help arrive first, who will guide treatment, and how will decisions happen when time does not wait?

Recent tragic events in local hospitals make these questions real for everyone, highlighting the difference between care that responds effectively and care that depends on chance.

Kashmir hospitals face overwhelming numbers of patients, with halls crowded beyond their capacity and staff stretched across multiple roles and responsibilities. Weak referral networks push critical cases straight to tertiary centers, and social factors funnel patients toward emergency rooms with little preparation.

These pressures explain the intensity, but they cannot excuse delays or variations in care.

Heart attacks, strokes, severe trauma, and sepsis demand immediate attention, and every minute affects outcomes. Emergency........

© Kashmir Observer