Be ‘Fully Prepared’ to Meet ‘Emergencies’: Two J&K Hospitals on High Alert Amid India-Pak Tension

Srinagar: Amid simmering tensions and growing rumours of war, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has put two major hospitals along the Line of Control and international border on high alert.

Similar circulars were issued by two hospitals in the districts of Baramulla and Jammu asking the staff to gear up “in view of the prevailing cross-border tension” in Jammu and Kashmir triggered by the carnage in Pahalgam, in which at least 26 civilians, most of them tourists, were killed and more than a dozen suffered injuries.

A circular issued by the medical superintendent of the Government Medical College (GMC) in Baramulla district directed the hospital staff, “particularly those in the Blood Centre and Casualty (Emergency) Department” to “remain on high alert and be fully prepared to respond promptly and efficiently in the event of any emergency”.

The circular didn’t specify the nature of the emergency anticipated by the hospital.

The Baramulla district in north Kashmir falls along the Line of Control, a scene of frequent skirmishes between the armies of India and Pakistan, which have resulted in the significant loss of lives and livelihood for border residents.

The circular, issued on April 23, instructed the hospital management to ensure the “continuous availability of emergency beds, essential medical supplies and adequate staffing” in the hospital along with “optimal stock levels of all blood units and critical emergency supplies” and ambulances.

“All personnel must be aware of their roles and responsibilities, especially in the case of mass casualty incidents or critical emergencies,” the circular said, while directing the hospital to “enhance surveillance and monitoring of all entry and exit points … for crowd management and safety” and “seamless communication and cooperation between all departments for timely and effective patient care.”

In a similar circular, the medical superintendent of the GMC in Jammu on Friday (April 25) directed the hospital management to “remain alert and ensure complete preparedness to meet any exigencies … in view of the prevailing cross-border tension in the UT (Union territory) of J&K”.

“The store officer and store keepers [of the hospital] are requested to keep all essential supplies, emergency medicines and critical equipment in a state of readiness for immediate use to meet any exigency. All hospital staff are advised to restrict unnecessary holidays and are directed to ensure their presence within the hospital premises during duty hours,” the circular said.

The circular noted that a round-the-clock control room has been set up “to coordinate all emergency responses” and that it can be reached on 0191-2582355 and 0191-2582356.

However, within hours after the circular was issued, GMC Jammu's principal evening withdrew it on Friday evening.

“The circular issued by Medical Superintendent GMC hospital Jammu vide endorsement number GMCH/2025/812-17 dated: 25-04-2025 is withdrawn ab-initio with immediate effect,” said the order issued by Dr Ashutosh Gupta, principal and dean of GMC Jammu.

Gupta could not be reached for comment on what prompted the change of heart. However, sources said that the circular was withdrawn due to its “improper wording” that “could have created panic” in Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir and which also abuts the international border with Pakistan.

This is not the first time that the administration in Jammu and Kashmir has put medical facilities in the Union territory on high alert following the deterioration of military and diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan.

In 2019, following the dogfights between the Indian and Pakistani air forces in the aftermath of the Pulwama suicide bombing and the so-called surgical strikes in Balakot, the administration had put many hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir on high alert, while staff leaves were also cancelled.

The attack in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam earlier this week has prompted calls of revenge across some parts of the country, with the Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing a slew of diplomatic measures to further downgrade ties with Pakistan, while military options are also being weighed amid growing uproar in the country.

In the aftermath of the carnage, fears of an Indo-Pakistani military conflict grew manifold in Jammu and Kashmir after Modi and Union defence minister Rajnath Singh promised to “identify, track and punish” the perpetrators and the “actors behind the scenes” (an oblique reference to Pakistan) with a “loud and clear response”.

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