Five-month wait for surgery at SMHS raises concerns over access to public healthcare

Srinagar, Sep 30: A surgery date given to a patient at SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, nearly five months after the patient approached the government hospital, has raised questions over the availability and accessibility of elective surgical care for people who depend on the public healthcare system.
According to an OPD record dated September 25, 2026, a patient examined in the surgery department at SMHS Hospital was advised laparoscopic/open cholecystectomy. The date noted for the procedure is February 19, 2027, nearly five months after the patient’s visit to the hospital.
One of the relatives of the patient said that the case has brought into focus the difficulties faced by patients who cannot afford prolonged treatment or surgery at private hospitals. “For such patients, government hospitals remain the principal option for specialized and relatively affordable treatment, making prolonged waiting periods for elective procedures a matter of concern.”
The patient had approached the government hospital with complaints including upper abdominal pain, and investigations reportedly indicated gallbladder stones. The medical record also mentions Grade III prostatomegaly and Grade I fatty liver, besides advising cholecystectomy.
While elective surgeries are normally scheduled according to clinical priority, operating-theatre capacity and the volume of patients awaiting procedures, a gap of several months between assessment and the scheduled operation can leave patients facing prolonged pain, uncertainty and additional medical expenses.
The situation raises a broader question: what options remain available to patients who cannot afford private hospitals when the date for a necessary operation at a major government tertiary-care facility is months away?
SMHS Hospital caters to an exceptionally large patient load. RTI-based information reported last year showed that the hospital handled more than 9.86 lakh OPD patients and around 1.08 lakh IPD patients in 2023-24, while thousands of surgeries were performed despite significant manpower shortages. Patients and doctors had also reported delays in diagnostics, consultations and follow-up services amid the staffing constraints.
The issue therefore goes beyond one patient’s scheduled procedure and raises concerns about the capacity of the public healthcare system to provide timely elective surgical care to economically vulnerable patients.
For a patient unable to bear the cost of private treatment, the question remains stark: if the public hospital can offer the treatment but the operation date is months away, where is the patient expected to go in the meantime? [KNT]