Avinash Azad
In a startling revelation that has left healthcare advocates stunned, AIIMS Jammu—the region’s premier medical institution—stands accused of undermining Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship healthcare initiatives. While government hospitals across Jammu and Kashmir embrace schemes designed to make healthcare affordable, AIIMS Jammu appears to be charting its own controversial course.
“We came here full of hope,” says a disappointed patient, who wished to remain anonymous. ‘But unlike other government hospitals, AIIMS Jammu doesn’t accept our Ayushman Bharat cards. What’s the use of having a premier institution if poor people can’t afford treatment here?”
The institution’s decision to bypass three crucial government programs—Ayushman Bharat, Jan Aushadi, and AMRIT stores—has raised eyebrows across the healthcare sector. While neighboring facilities like SKIMS Soura and other premier hospitals of J&K welcome patients under these schemes, AIIMS Jammu’s halls echo with stories of patients forced to choose between expensive treatment or no treatment at all.
Adding fuel to the fire, the hospital administration recently advertised for private pharmacies to set up shop on its premises. Healthcare policy experts warn this move could backfire spectacularly. “Look at the history,” cautions a senior health policy analyst. “Private pharmacies in government hospitals across Jammu and Kashmir have become permanent fixtures. Once they’re in, they rarely leave, often securing court orders to maintain their positions indefinitely.”
This cautionary tale isn’t merely hypothetical. Across the region, numerous government hospitals remain locked in decades-old arrangements with private pharmacies, their rents frozen at rates from a bygone era. By choosing private players over government initiatives like Jan Aushadi and AMRIT stores, AIIMS Jammu risks creating the same problem within its walls.
However, an AIIMS Jammu insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that there are currently two stores—one Jan Aushadi and one AMRIT—with plans to open additional stores in the future.
This raises the question: if an AMRIT store, operated by a Government of India enterprise under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), is already available to provide affordable drugs, implants, surgical items, and disposables across the country, why is AIIMS Jammu encouraging private pharmacies instead?
The irony isn’t lost on observers: while PM Modi pushes for affordable healthcare nationwide, one of India’s newest AIIMS facilities appears to be pulling in the opposite direction. The absence of these schemes creates a peculiar situation where patients might find better financial support at smaller regional hospitals than at this prestigious institution.
When approached for comment, AIIMS Jammu’s Director, Dr. Shakti Kumar Gupta, was unavailable by phone. A detailed questionnaire sent via WhatsApp and email awaits response, leaving crucial questions unanswered: Why has the institution chosen this path? How does it justify prioritizing private pharmacies over government schemes? And most importantly, what happens to patients who can’t afford treatment without these support systems?
The situation at AIIMS Jammu presents a stark contrast: a state-of-the-art facility that appears more aligned with private healthcare models than public service. As the institution stands at this crossroads, the choices made today could impact healthcare accessibility in the region for decades to come.
For now, the gleaming halls of AIIMS Jammu stand as a testament to medical infrastructure development. Yet without the implementation of these crucial government schemes, they risk becoming halls that echo with the footsteps of only those who can afford to walk them—a far cry from the Prime Minister’s vision of healthcare for all.
Dr. Shakti Kumar Gupta, Director of AIIMS Jammu did not respond to phone calls from The Hidden News. Consequently, a questionnaire was sent to him via WhatsApp and email, and a response is awaited. Updates will be provided as soon as a response is received.
