Outrage Ignites as Another Life is Lost at District Hospital Poonch; Pattern of Fatalities, Allegations of Extortion, and Unchecked Apathy Emerge; ‘Internal Probe’ Dismissed as Insufficient Amidst Calls for High-Level Independent Investigation and Accountability for Betraying ‘Beti Bachao’ Pledge
A heart-wrenching tragedy unfolded at District Hospital Poonch as 25-year-old Asia Kousar died following childbirth, allegedly due to severe post-partum haemorrhaging and a critical delay or failure in medical intervention by attending Gynaecologist Dr. Shehnaz Bhatti; her distraught family protested, demanding justice and claiming they were forced to procure essential medical supplies and blood externally.
This incident is disturbingly consistent with a documented history of maternal and neonatal deaths at District Hospital Poonch (including a Mangnar woman in August 2023, an infant in December 2022, and a case involving Dr. Priyanka in early 2024), widely attributed to gross negligence, chronic staff deficiencies, and a pervasive culture where private medical practices allegedly take precedence, leading to what locals’ term “medical extortion” of government hospital patients.
The stark contrast between the Prime Minister’s “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” initiative and the grim reality of maternal healthcare in the strategic border district of Poonch underscores a severe administrative lapse; while an internal hospital inquiry has been announced, civil society and affected families are demanding an immediate, impartial high-level probe, the suspension of all culpable personnel, and urgent, decisive intervention from the State Administration and the concerned Health Minister.
Jj correspondent
Poonch, June 03, 2025: The sanctity of District Hospital Poonch, envisioned as a haven for the sick and vulnerable, has been grievously violated once more, as 25-year-old Asia Kousar tragically perished after giving birth, her death sparking furious accusations of gross medical negligence. This young mother’s demise on June 2nd has not only plunged her family into inconsolable grief but has also ignited widespread public outrage, bringing into sharp focus the hospital’s alarming record of maternal and neonatal fatalities, systemic failures, and a deeply entrenched culture of alleged indifference and “medical extortion.” The incident stands as a stark indictment, particularly when compared with national pronouncements like “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao,” revealing a chasm between rhetoric and the perilous healthcare realities faced by women in sensitive border regions like Poonch.
Asia Kousar, married to Mohammad Farooq, was admitted to District Hospital Poonch on June 2nd, anticipating the birth of her child. This moment of expected joy rapidly devolved into a catastrophe when she reportedly began to suffer from severe post-partum haemorrhaging. According to her devastated family, the attending Gynaecologist, Dr. Shehnaz Bhatti, is accused of failing to provide the necessary timely and adequate medical intervention. When the decision was finally made to transfer Asia to the District Hospital Rajouri, her condition was already precarious. Tragically, she did not survive the journey, her life extinguished en route. Her bereaved family, consumed by grief and anger, spent the night protesting outside District Hospital Poonch, demanding accountability for a death they believe was preventable.
This latest tragedy is not an isolated event but rather a chilling echo of past failings that have scarred the reputation of District Hospital Poonch. A review of recent history reveals a disturbing pattern:
n In August 2023, a woman from the Mangnar area lost her life during childbirth due to a ruptured uterus. Sources indicate the incident was met with administrative acknowledgement but lacked any substantive follow-up inquiry.
n In December 2022, the death of an infant shortly after birth was attributed to an alleged lack of neonatal emergency protocols. This case too, reportedly, saw no definitive resolution or assignment of responsibility.
n Earlier in 2024, another Gynaecologist at the same hospital, Dr. Priyanka, faced similarly grave accusations. That case, predictably, is said to be languishing “under inquiry” – a term that many in Poonch now associate with administrative obfuscation and eventual inaction.
These specific instances are further compounded by damning allegations from multiple local residents and even hospital employees, who, speaking on condition of anonymity, describe a pervasive culture of apathy where the well-being of patients at the government facility is secondary. “Doctors seem to prioritize their private practices, which are run like commercial enterprises, while the District Hospital itself has become a monument to unfulfilled promises and neglect,” one medical staffer alleged. Numerous patients and their families have recounted experiences where individuals seeking care at the Outpatient Department (OPD) are allegedly discouraged or given cursory attention, only to be subtly or overtly guided towards private clinics where substantial consultation fees are charged. This practice has become so widespread that locals have reportedly coined the term “medical extortion” to describe it.
Asia Kousar’s family narrated a harrowing ordeal of alleged abandonment and financial exploitation during her final hours. They claim that despite District Hospital Poonch being a government referral facility, they were compelled to arrange blood for Asia independently. Moreover, they assert that routine medical supplies such as glucose, syringes, and antibiotics had to be purchased at their own expense from private chemists while Asia was critically ill. “We pleaded with them to save her,” one grief-stricken relative stated, “they took our money for supplies but did not seem to take our pleas for her life seriously.” Adding to these grievous allegations, the staff in the labour room are accused of soliciting bribes even for the most elementary procedures – an accusation that, if substantiated, points to a profound moral decay within the institution.
The incident has drawn swift and unequivocal condemnation from civil society groups, human rights organizations, and opposition political leaders. There is a unified demand for the immediate suspension of all personnel deemed culpable in Asia’s death, the initiation of an independent judicial probe into this specific case and the broader systemic issues at the hospital, and a comprehensive overhaul of the hospital’s administrative and operational framework. “This hospital seems to devour lives rather than preserve them,” declared one local activist. “How many more impoverished mothers must die before the government deems it necessary to act? Are the lives of these women so insignificant that they merit nothing more than endless, obligatory inquiries that lead nowhere?”
What is equally disturbing to the community is the conspicuous silence from the higher echelons of the health administration. The Director of Health Services, the Health Minister, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Poonch, and the Medical Superintendent of Raja Sukhdev Singh (District) Hospital have, as yet, failed to issue any substantive public statement or announce concrete measures beyond an internal inquiry. Medical Superintendent Dr. Shafiq, when contacted telephonically, confirmed that an internal committee has been constituted to investigate Asia Kousar’s death, stating, “We have constituted a committee to investigate the matter thoroughly.” However, this assurance of an internal probe is being met with widespread skepticism, viewed by many as an inadequate “eyewash” tactic. This perceived inertia and abdication of moral responsibility by senior officials are seen as further evidence of the structural rot that has allegedly festered within Jammu and Kashmir’s public healthcare system.
Allegations of a nexus between certain hospital staff and private medical suppliers are also rife within the local community. There is talk of a covert “medical mafia” that allegedly incentivizes hospital personnel to divert patients to external pharmacies and private clinics in exchange for commissions, further burdening already distressed families.
Poonch, being a sensitive border district, faces unique logistical and infrastructural challenges. During medical emergencies, the journey to Jammu, the nearest tertiary care facility, can take up to seven gruelling hours. In this context, District Hospital Poonch is meant to function as a critical lifeline. Instead, it is increasingly perceived as a liability, a place where hope diminishes. The state’s apparent failure to adequately reinforce and monitor healthcare in this strategically vital region not only undermines public health but also carries implications for national security by potentially neglecting the well-being of vulnerable border populations.
Asia Kousar’s tragic death may eventually fade from the immediate news cycle, but it must not be erased from public memory or official accountability. Her newborn child will grow up without a mother’s warmth, and her family will bear a grief that no monetary compensation can ever truly ameliorate. If decisive, visible, and enduring action is not taken now, Asia’s fate will merely be another entry in a growing, shameful ledger of deaths that cry out from the corridors of indifference. The time for hollow assurances and obligatory inquiries has long since passed. What is urgently required is principled leadership, rigorous judicial scrutiny, and a profound moral reckoning with the decay that seemingly pervades vital public institutions. The administration and the concerned minister must take immediate notice of this betrayal of the “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” promise and initiate a high-level, independent inquiry to bring all culprits, at all levels, to book.
