Srinagar Doctor Banned Over 1,800 Unrecorded Private Surgeries
KD NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, Apr 10: In a development that has sent shockwaves through Kashmir’s medical fraternity, the Jammu and Kashmir Health and Medical Education Department has imposed a complete ban on the private practice of a senior surgeon affiliated with Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar. Dr. Hanief Dar, who serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery, has been accused of conducting more than 1,800 unrecorded surgeries at private hospitals while drawing a full-time salary from the government.
According to Government Order No. 308-JK (HME) of 2025, Dr. Dar carried out an astonishing 1,807 surgeries under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and AB PMJAY SEHAT schemes — but none of these were entered into the official records at GMC Srinagar, where he is bound by duty to prioritize public healthcare service.
The scandal came to light following an extensive evaluation conducted by the State Health Agency (SHA). The agency’s findings, which revealed large-scale procedural discrepancies, were further verified against internal work records maintained by GMC Srinagar. The comparison laid bare a glaring mismatch — underscoring that Dr. Dar’s professional efforts were overwhelmingly devoted to private practice at the expense of public duty.
The Health Department has termed the violations as “serious misconduct” and a direct breach of the J&K Government Employees (Conduct) Rules, which strictly prohibit unauthorized private engagements by government medical faculty. These rules emphasize that faculty must not only refrain from unapproved private work but are expected to commit themselves entirely to public service.
Consequently, the department, under the direction of Dr. Syed Abid Rasheed Shah (IAS), Secretary to the Government, Health and Medical Education Department, has enforced an immediate and comprehensive ban on Dr. Dar’s private medical practice across the entire Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The official order warns that any defiance of this directive will invite disciplinary proceedings under the relevant service rules.
This unprecedented action has sparked intense debate over the lack of internal checks and balances within the state’s healthcare system. It also raises critical questions about how such a large volume of private surgeries went unnoticed for so long, and whether more such cases may be lurking beneath the surface.
Public health advocates and watchdogs are now calling for a broader inquiry into private practices by government doctors, demanding systemic reforms to restore accountability, transparency, and trust in the healthcare sector.
