Should Kashmir Ban Private Practice for Government Doctors?

By Dr. Fiaz Maqbool Fazili

The question keeps returning to Kashmir’s public debate with the persistence of a recurring fever: should doctors in government service be barred from private practice?

A recent demand by a lawmaker from Anantnag has brought it to the front pages again, stirring emotions and dividing opinion across hospital corridors and dinner tables alike.

It is an issue that touches the ethics of care, the economics of survival, and the state of our healthcare system itself.

At first glance, the idea of a ban appears simple and appealing. Supporters argue that government doctors should dedicate themselves entirely to public hospitals. After all, taxpayers pay their salaries. Patients, often poor and exhausted after long journeys to district hospitals, deserve a doctor’