Adv Arif Zahoor Lone
Kangan today presents a troubling contradiction. On one hand, a newly constructed hospital building stands complete, silent, and unused for the past two to three years. On the other, the existing hospital continues to function under conditions that raise serious concerns about hygiene, capacity, and basic human dignity. Alongside this healthcare failure, a parallel crisis unfolds daily on the Kangan to Srinagar route, where commuters face unreliable and inefficient transport
services. Together, these issues reflect not isolated lapses but a pattern of administrative delay, poor planning, and lack of accountability. The purpose of infrastructure is service. A building, no matter how modern, has no value unless it functions. The new hospital building in Kangan is a clear example of this failure. Public funds have been spent. Construction has been completed. Yet, the doors remain closed. No transparent explanation has been provided to the people. No official timeline has been committed for its operationalization.
The existing facility, which currently serves as a sub district hospital, carries an overwhelming burden. Approximately 120000 to 140000 people depend on this single institution as their primary healthcare facility. This estimate is grounded in local data. The Kangan Tehsil had a recorded population of 120934 in the 2011 Census. With normal population growth, the current figure likely exceeds 135000. Despite this, the infrastructure and administrative system in place do not match the scale of demand. The condition inside the hospital reflects this mismatch. Overcrowded wards, limited space, and insufficient staffing define daily operations. Basic systems are either weak or poorly managed. In a setting where efficiency and speed are critical, the process itself becomes a barrier. The administrative bottle necks are glaring; the single window handles ticket distribution, another window handles test fee collection resulting in long lines and time consuming. Men and women stand together in congested queues for basic procedures. There is no structured system to manage patient flow, stripping the patient experience of both efficiency and dignity.
There is no separation, no prioritization, no dignity in the process. This is not a rare occurrence. This is routine. For critical cases, the situation becomes alarming. A patient requiring an urgent cardiac test, such as an ECG, is forced to wait in line. In medical emergencies, even a few minutes can determine survival. Here, delay is built into the system. A life threatening condition is treated with the same procedural delay as a routine check. This is not just inefficiency. This is risk. Sanitation further worsens the situation. Washrooms remain poorly maintained. Foul smell spreads beyond immediate areas. Cleanliness standards are not met. Patients, attendants, and even staff are exposed to an unhealthy environment. In a hospital, hygiene is not optional. It is fundamental. Healthcare is a basic right. When a functioning facility is denied despite available infrastructure, it raises serious questions about governance. This administrative delay is not merely a technicality; it is a breach of the social contract. By allowing a fully-funded facility to remain idle while the public suffers in substandard
conditions, the authorities are presiding over a man-made crisis that erodes the very foundation of public trust. Responsibility for this situation cannot be avoided. Elected representatives, including Altaf Ahmad Larvi and Mian Mehar Ali, hold a duty to ensure that public infrastructure serves its intended purpose. Administrative lethargy only deepen public frustration. Parallel to the healthcare issue is the ongoing transport crisis on the Kangan to Srinagar route. For daily commuters, this is not an occasional inconvenience. It is a routine struggle. Students miss classes. Patients arrive late for treatment. Employees risk their attendance and income. Every delay has a tangible socio-economic repercussions.
“Kangan’s crisis stems from a systemic gap between infrastructure and utility. To resolve the dual failure of an idle hospital and a broken transport network, the administration must shift from making promises to enforcing functional, integrated standards.”
Local buses, which are expected to provide a reliable and affordable mode of transport, have instead become a source of uncertainty. A common and widely reported issue is the fraudulent misrepresentation adopted by some operators. At the starting point, passengers are assured that the bus will run as a non stop service from Kangan to Srinagar or from Kangan to Dargah. Passengers make time-sensitive decisions based on these assurances of ‘non-stop’ travel. When operators unilaterally abandon these promises mid-route, it ceases to be a mere inconvenience and becomes a deceptive trade practice. This exploitation of commuter urgency highlights a total collapse of transport regulation. It exploits urgency. It disrupts planning. For students, even a delay of minutes affects attendance. For patients, delay affects treatment.
For employees, it affects livelihood. The problem reflects weak regulation. Authorities have a duty to ensure that declared services match actual operations. Without enforcement, misuse becomes routine. The introduction of smart city buses was expected to improve mobility. Instead, it has triggered conflict with private operators. The result is reduced availability, uncertainty, and increased burden on commuters. A functional system requires integration. Government buses should ensure reliability and affordability. Private operators should run feeder and supplementary services. Fare regulation should protect passengers. Clear route allocation should reduce conflict. Enforcement should ensure compliance. The issue of delay is not minor. It has economic and social impact. Time loss reduces productivity. Increased travel cost affects families. Daily uncertainty creates stress. Returning to healthcare, the contrast remains stark.
A region struggling with basic medical facilities cannot afford to keep a ready hospital unused. Two to three years is not a short delay. It is a failure of priority. If the delay is due to staffing, recruitment must be completed. If due to equipment,
procurement must be finalized. If due to approvals, they must be expedited. Every day of inaction adds pressure on an already failing system.
Transparency is essential. The public deserves clear answers. A timeline must be declared. Progress must be visible. Accountability must be fixed. The same applies to transport. Passengers deserve honesty. If a bus is not non stop, it must not be presented as such. Misrepresentation cannot be normalized. Policy must reflect ground reality. Kangan does not ask for luxury. It asks for functionality. A hospital that works. A transport system that moves. Clean facilities. Honest services. This requires coordination. Health authorities, transport departments, and local administration must act together. Isolated steps will not solve systemic issues. Monitoring must improve. Complaints must lead to action. Public feedback must matter. Media platforms play a key role in maintaining pressure and visibility. The issues of an unused hospital and a broken transport system are not separate. They reflect the same gap between promise and delivery. Both affect daily life. Both demand immediate correction. The path is clear. Open the hospital. Staff it properly. Fix sanitation. Streamline patient handling. Regulate transport. Integrate systems. Enforce standards. Communicate clearly. Kangan cannot remain a place where infrastructure exists without service and where movement depends on uncertainty. The gap between promise and reality must close. The time for action is now.
(The author is a Lawyer based in Kangan, Ganderbal. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
