JAMMU: Even as the country prepared for Independence Day celebrations on the night of August 14, Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu turned into the epicentre of a massive life-saving operation when ambulances carrying scores of victims from Kishtwar arrived at its emergency wing. Within hours, GMC’s medical teams managed to stabilise 66 critical patients and perform nearly 25 major surgeries throughout the night, ensuring that no lives were lost due to a lack of medical expertise.
The patients, many of them grievously injured and traumatised, had been caught in a natural disaster of severe proportions in Kishtwar. As soon as ambulance sirens reached the hospital gates, the GMC staff swung into action. Trolleys were rushed to the triage area, ventilators were prepared for the critically ill, and operating theatres were readied for emergency procedures. Split-second decisions were taken by doctors and staff, supported at every step by senior professors, heads of departments, and the hospital administration.
Departments ranging from Orthopaedics, Surgery and Anaesthesia to Neurosurgery, ENT, Dental, Ophthalmology and Medicine worked in unison, supported by blood bank and lab services. Even the engineering wings—mechanical, electrical and civil—ensured seamless functioning despite heavy rains. “The clock-like precision shown by GMC staff was an example of the highest professionalism,” a hospital official said.
Beyond the medical response, staff extended emotional support to traumatised patients and their families. Nursing staff were seen cleaning mud-caked wounds, feeding frightened children, and comforting those who had lost loved ones. “There were patients who arrived alone, scared and injured. The staff adopted them like family,” a witness recounted.
The hospital’s handling of the crisis has been widely appreciated, with the Director of PGI Chandigarh personally applauding the Principal of GMC Jammu for leading such an efficient response. Significantly, not a single patient had to be referred to any higher centre.
GMC Jammu has built a reputation for managing mass-casualty situations, from Operation Sindoor to major accidents and natural calamities. The latest response, doctors say, has reaffirmed its role as the region’s frontline healthcare provider.
For the patients and families from Kishtwar, the night of anguish was matched by a night of relentless care. “The doctors, nurses, technicians, engineers, sanitation and security staff are the real heroes. They deserve all our respect and adulation,” the GMC administration said in a statement.
