by Abdul Razak Wani
The irony is devastating: an institution born out of near-total penury to safeguard lives had become ensnared in the very pathologies of corruption and inefficiency it was designed to transcend.
“When the gardener sleeps, weeds take over the orchard.” The adage rings true when the tenure of the former head of Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, is examined. His time in office—preceding the current administration—has come under scrutiny, revealing a pattern of isolation and indifference. Secluded in his plush chamber, bolting the latch from within, he allowed a significant portion of allocated funds to slip through his fingers. The matter was debated at length in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly during its recent session.
SKIMS, once a dream project, has found itself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Its performance during the financial years 2022–23 and 2023–24 has been dismal, marked by declining healthcare standards and managerial malaise. In the landscape of North India’s medical institutions, SKIMS was envisioned as a beacon, second only to the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and comparable in scope and purpose to PGI Chandigarh and AIIMS Delhi. In that intricate tapestry of Indian healthcare infrastructure, SKIMS was meant to shine—a centre of medical excellence and hope.
There is no denying the vital role SKIMS plays. Located in the heart of Jammu and Kashmir, it is a premier medical institution, both a bastion of clinical expertise and a hub of academic pursuit. It serves a vast population, its reach extending well beyond the region’s borders. With a daily footfall that hovers between 10,000 and 20,000, the institute bears a burden that few others can match. In its ambition and scale, it stands as a monument to what public healthcare can achieve.
Yet, the fiscal narrative of SKIMS over the past three years tells a different story—one marred by inertia and neglect. Under the previous leadership, a staggering ₹90 crore of sanctioned funds remained unspent. Whether siphoned into administrative voids or left to stagnate in red tape, the money was lost to the very people it was meant to serve.
In 2021–22, Rs 34.16 crore lay untouched—nearly a third of the budget left to decay. The following year, 2022–23, witnessed a lapse of Rs 21.72 crore, further exposing the rot. By 2023–24, the pattern had hardened into habit, with another Rs 34.22 crore vanishing into bureaucratic limbo. The consequences were grave: crumbling infrastructure, halted procurement, and a public denied its fundamental right to healthcare.
A veil of opacity shrouded those years. Basic medicines such as tablet Paracetamol and phenytoin sodium 100 mg—lifesaving drugs provided free to outpatients with seizure disorders—eluded hospital suppliers for nearly two years.
Lives were lost, not to scarcity, but to systemic failure. The irony is devastating: an institution born out of near-total penury to safeguard lives had become ensnared in the very pathologies of corruption and inefficiency it was designed to transcend. It stood as a stark embodiment of governance gone awry.
Yet, amid this bleak landscape, a new dawn appears. The financial year 2024–25 has ushered in a quiet renaissance, one defined by accountability, fiscal discipline, and a revived sense of public duty. In sharp contrast to its predecessors, the current administration has accepted the mantle of responsibility, ensuring the full utilisation of the Rs 79 crore allocated to SKIMS for infrastructure and developmental works.
Among the most transformative investments is the procurement of a state-of-the-art linear accelerator worth Rs 29 crore under the SCI grant, dramatically enhancing the institute’s oncology treatment capabilities. This is not merely a technical upgrade—it is an act of redemption, a resolute rejection of past inertia, and a testament to the power of political will and administrative clarity. It is proof that determination can indeed move mountains.
In comparison, the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, offers a portrait of enduring financial prudence. In 2021–22, its budget stood at Rs 2,200 crore, marking a 3.6 per cent rise from Rs 2,123 crore in 2022–23. A notable Rs 343.10 crore was channelled into capital assets—an investment that dwarfs SKIMS’ total annual allocation. The momentum continued into 2024–25, with another Rs 350 crore directed towards infrastructure and medical advancements, reinforcing PGIMER’s unwavering trajectory of expansion and excellence.
The contrast is stark. One institution flourishes under consistent governmental support and sagacious leadership; the other has struggled to breathe under the weight of neglect. And yet, with its recent turnaround in fiscal responsibility, SKIMS has begun to reclaim its stature. Past failures must not be wielded as reasons to withhold future support. Rather, they should serve as a clarion call for increased funding, rigorous oversight, and an unwavering commitment to ensuring the missteps of yesterday do not define the promise of tomorrow.
With SKIMS achieving full budget utilisation in 2024–25, this momentum must be strengthened, not stifled. The scars of previous mismanagement remain etched in institutional memory, yet they must not dictate the course ahead. A larger and more strategically deployed budget is not merely a necessity—it is an ethical imperative. State and central authorities must acknowledge that healthcare is not an expenditure to be begrudged but an investment in the moral fabric of society. To withhold funding from SKIMS at this pivotal moment would be to penalise the present for the failings of the past.
The complete utilisation of funds in the last two quarters signals the beginning of a new chapter. However, a single successful year cannot erase a legacy of inefficiency. The institution must now reinforce its procurement mechanisms, uphold rigorous accountability, and enshrine transparency as a guiding principle. It must continue its ascent, marked by meticulous planning and judicious expenditure, under the adaptable and pragmatic leadership now in place. In doing so, SKIMS must evolve in step with the expanding healthcare demands of North India generally, and Jammu and Kashmir specifically.
(The author writes occasionally on crucial issues. Viws are personal.)
