Circular Banning Media Issued After Deaths of Asia Kousar, Anjum Nisa; Public Demands FIRs, Probes into ‘Medical Mafia,’ and an End to Systemic Rot as Betrayal of ‘Beti Bachao’ Echoes Louder
- In an alarming move following the recent deaths of young mothers Asia Kousar and Anjum Nisa, and amidst widespread allegations of medical negligence, the Medical Superintendent of District Hospital Poonch has issued a gag order (Circular No. RSS/DHP/1240-43, Dated 11/06/2025) banning all media from the premises without prior permission, a step seen as a desperate attempt to silence scrutiny and conceal systemic failures.
- The Medical Superintendent, Dr. Shafiq, himself a controversial appointee (a B-grade anaesthesia consultant allegedly signing bills without DDO powers and previously seen in a viral video where staff solicited money), is accused of prioritizing a cover-up over accountability, prompting demands for his and the CMO’s immediate suspension pending a fair inquiry.
- The public of Poonch, seething with anger over what they term a “governance crisis” where skilled specialists are allegedly mis-posted and transfer policies are ignored, demands an immediate high-level probe not just into the recent deaths, but into the entire “medical mafia” nexus, questioning why the administration fears cameras more than casualties and when the government will finally awaken to the plight of its citizens.
Harpreet Singh
Poonch, June 12, 2025: In what is being condemned as a brazen act of institutional panic and a desperate attempt to muzzle the truth, the administration of Raja Sukhdev Singh District Hospital Poonch has slammed its doors shut on public scrutiny, issuing a sweeping circular that effectively bans all media coverage of “untoward incidents” within its premises. This gag order, issued by a Medical Superintendent (MS) already mired in controversy, comes directly on the heels of the tragic deaths of two young mothers within six days;Â Asia Kousar and Anjum Nisa; which have ignited a firestorm of public outrage and laid bare years of alleged systemic rot, medical negligence, and unchecked impunity at the beleaguered hospital. Rather than addressing the grave accusations and ensuring transparency, the hospital administration has chosen to build a fortress of silence, a move that screams of a cover-up and raises a terrifying question: What more is being hidden behind these closed doors?
The circular, No. RSS/DHP/1240-43, dated June 11, 2025, is a direct assault on democratic accountability. It explicitly states, “No Media person be allowed in the Hospital Premises without the prior permission of Medical Superintendent,” and warns of “consequences under rule” for violators. This directive is not a routine administrative measure; it is a gag order issued at the precise moment the hospital is facing its most intense public examination following the deaths of Asia Kousar, allegedly due to post-partum haemorrhage and gross negligence by Gynaecologist Dr. Shehnaz Bhatti, and Anjum Nisa of Gursai, Mendhar, under similarly tragic circumstances. The timing is not coincidental; it is a calculated response to a crisis of public trust, prioritizing narrative control over patient safety and justice for the bereaved.
At the heart of this storm is the current Medical Superintendent, Dr. Shafiq, whose own appointment and conduct are under a cloud of suspicion. Credible internal sources allege that Dr. Shafiq, originally a B-grade anaesthesia consultant, was handed the charge of the district hospital administration not on the basis of seniority or merit, but through bureaucratic manoeuvring, initially without Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) powers. However, he allegedly began signing financial bills shortly after assuming charge, a move experts describe as a gross procedural anomaly and a potential violation of service rules.
His credibility is further eroded by a viral video from a few months prior, which shows him present during an alleged incident where hospital staff were soliciting money from patients. Despite this visual evidence, no departmental action was reportedly taken, reinforcing the public’s belief in a deep-seated nexus of protectionism within Poonch’s health system. How can an individual so embroiled in controversy now be the arbiter of truth and the gatekeeper of information, all under the flimsy pretext of “patient privacy” and preventing disruption to “routine work”?
This crisis transcends the actions of one individual; it is a symptom of a profound governance failure. The misuse of human resources is rampant. Skilled anaesthesia consultants, vital for conducting surgeries in a remote, strategically vital border district like Poonch, are allegedly parked in administrative roles in the main hospital, while rural and block-level facilities are starved of their expertise. “Anaesthesia specialists should be posted where surgeries happen, not behind desks where political clout matters more than medical skill,” a retired health official lamented. Moreover, a blatant violation of the government’s own transfer policy is evident, with several officials having remained entrenched in sensitive posts at District Hospital Poonch for over a decade, fostering an environment where accountability withers.
The death of Asia Kousar, as previously reported, was a horror story of alleged neglect, where her family was forced to buy their own medical supplies and frantically arrange blood, all while their pleas were allegedly ignored. This was followed by a shocking and suspicious refusal to conduct a post-mortem and a hurried attempt to dispose-off her body. The death of Anjum Nisa has only compounded the community’s grief and anger. In the face of these tragedies, the administration’s response has been to silence the messengers.
This circular is a direct challenge to the freedom of the press guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution of India. It is an insult to the memory of the women who have died, to the anguish of their families, and to the right of every citizen to know how their public institutions are functioning, or in this case, failing. The public of Poonch is demanding more than just the revocation of this draconian order. They are demanding the immediate suspension of both the CMO and the Medical Superintendent to ensure an impartial inquiry, the registration of FIRs against all culpable individuals, and a high-level, independent probe by an outside agency into the recurring deaths and the alleged “medical mafia” operating within the hospital.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan of “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” rings hollow in the corridors of District Hospital Poonch, where daughters and mothers are allegedly perishing due to a system that fears cameras more than it fears casualties. The time for platitudes and perfunctory internal committees is over. The government must wake up. The Directorate of Health Services Jammu and the Deputy Commissioner Poonch must intervene decisively, not just to retract a circular, but to dismantle a culture of concealment and restore a semblance of sanity and safety to a hospital that has become a symbol of a state’s failure to protect its most vulnerable. Poonch is watching, and this time, its patience has run out.
