District President of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mohd Rafique Rather, has strongly condemned the media Gag imposed during the visit of the Minister for Health and Medical Education, Ms. Sakina Itoo, to Government Medical College (GMC) Baramulla.
In a statement issued here, Rafique Rather said that GMC Baramulla continues to remain in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons — from glaring administrative mismanagement to lack of infrastructure and an acute shortage of doctors and paramedical staff. The hospital’s deteriorating condition, including unhygienic and dysfunctional washrooms, reflects the appalling state of public healthcare in North Kashmir.
Rather held the Minister for Medical Education directly responsible for the worsening condition of GMC Baramulla, stating that instead of making symbolic visits, she should be answerable for the gross neglect and continued administrative failure under her watch.
He further criticized the government’s decision to bar the press and media from covering the visit, calling it a blatant attempt to suppress truth and avoid accountability. “Ironically, while the government calls the media the ‘Fourth Pillar of Democracy,’ it simultaneously shuts its doors on them when they seek to report ground realities,” Rather said.
“Suppressing media coverage during a period of growing healthcare crisis not only undermines democratic values but also exposes the government’s unease with transparency and public scrutiny,” he added.Rafique Rather emphasized that the people have an unalienable right to know what is happening inside a public institution that serves lakhs across North Kashmir. “What is the government trying to hide, and why? When public faith in governance is already fragile, such opacity only worsens the trust deficit,” he remarked.
He urged the Government of Jammu and Kashmir to stop indulging in optics and instead take serious corrective measures to revamp GMC Baramulla. “The citizens of North Kashmir deserve transparency, accountability, and above all, access to dignified and quality healthcare,” he said.
Appealing directly to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Rafique Rather called upon him to personally intervene and initiate urgent reforms so that the suffering of the people is brought to an end.
