In what many are calling a travesty of justice, a doctor accused of medical negligence has been appointed to head an inquiry committee tasked with investigating the very allegations levelled against him at Lal Ded Hospital, Srinagar.
When contacted, the Medical Superintendent Dr Mohammad Muzaffar Jan said the accused doctor had been included in the committee to provide his version of events. He added, however, that the order would now be modified.”
The committee was constituted by the Medical Superintendent on 5 December 2025 under order number PA/MS/LDH/2190-93. It includes Dr. Mehraj-Uddin (Associate Professor), Dr. Maimoona Gul, and Dr. Sameena Bashir. However, the inclusion—and leadership—of Dr. Mehraj-Uddin has triggered widespread concern and disbelief, as he is the primary doctor accused by the family of failing to treat the patient in time.
According to the family of the deceased fetus, the woman had been referred to Lal Ded Hospital from Bandipora after developing serious complications and reporting that there was no fetal movement. “We kept asking them to intervene, but no one responded with urgency,” an attendant said. “Instead of taking the matter seriously, we were repeatedly given assurances that both mother and fetus were safe, even though the mother continued to complain about lack of movement.”
The fetus could not be saved.
The family alleges that despite presenting investigation reports from Bandipora and repeatedly expressing concern, Dr. Mehraj-Uddin dismissed their fears and asked them to return home, claiming there was nothing to worry about. “We requested him again and again to check properly, but he sent us back saying everything was fine,” a relative said, demanding justice and an impartial probe.
Amid growing pressure from the family, the administration formed the three-member inquiry committee. However, the decision to include the accused doctor as a member—and effectively place him in a position to influence the findings—has seriously undermined public trust in the investigation. “How can we believe in an inquiry where the accused doctor himself is part of the committee?” a family member asked.
This incident has once again brought to light longstanding concerns regarding patient care at the Valley’s only tertiary maternity hospital.
On 24 November, a patient filed a written complaint alleging that two doctors in the OPD refused to perform Doppler tests for nearly a dozen pregnant women. Witnesses said the doctors were engaged in a personal dispute and refused to attend to the patients. A male doctor later escorted some of the women to the IPD for tests, but only a few were attended to there as well. Others — including high-risk patients who had travelled long distances — were asked to return the next day. The complaint was submitted to the Medical Superintendent, but no outcome has yet been shared and no responsibility fixed.
Such episodes, patients say, are eroding confidence in an institution considered the last resort for maternity care in Kashmir. “If this is the condition at a tertiary care hospital, where do we go?” asked an attendant from Kupwara.
The hospital administration has not issued an official statement on either incident.
