“Trust is indispensable foundation of healthcare, particularly for veteran specialists who have retired from SKIMS Soura. Patients seek confidence; acknowledge their medical history, and continuity in unmatched and unparallel health care delivery practices.”
Shafqat Bukhari
Healthcare is built on one indispensable foundation—trust. Patients do not merely seek medicines or medical procedures; they seek confidence in the doctor treating them, assurance that their medical history is understood, and continuity in the care they receive. This trust becomes even more important when dealing with specialists, whose expertise often determines the course of treatment for complex illnesses. In Jammu and Kashmir, retired specialists from Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) continue to make valuable contributions to healthcare after superannuation. Their decades of clinical experience, academic knowledge and surgical expertise remain an important asset for society. At a time when specialist doctors are still in short supply, their continued engagement can significantly benefit patients and strengthen healthcare delivery. However, an emerging concern deserves attention. Many retired specialists are associated with multiple private hospitals, clinics, medical colleges or healthcare institutions simultaneously. While such engagements may be professionally permissible, they can create confusion and inconvenience for patients, particularly those who require regular follow-up consultations or long-term treatment. For many patients, especially those travelling from remote districts of Kashmir, locating a specialist has become increasingly challenging. A doctor may be available in one hospital on Mondays, another clinic on Wednesdays and a different institution later in the week. Patients often spend considerable time and money trying to identify where their doctor is consulting on a particular day. For elderly patients, those with chronic illnesses and economically weaker families, this fragmented system adds unnecessary stress to an already difficult medical journey. Continuity of care is a globally recognised principle in healthcare. Patients recovering from surgery, undergoing cancer treatment, managing cardiac conditions or living with neurological disorders require consistent monitoring by the same specialist whenever possible. Frequent changes in consultation locations can disrupt follow-up schedules, delay treatment decisions and weaken the doctor-patient relationship that is essential for effective healthcare. The issue is not about restricting retired doctors from practising. On the contrary, encouraging experienced specialists to continue serving society after retirement is both necessary and desirable. Their knowledge should remain available to younger doctors and patients alike.
“While Jammu and Kashmir has successfully expanded its healthcare infrastructure, the system must now prioritize patient experience by ensuring accessible, transparent, and continuous care. A central component of this improvement involves better utilizing the expertise of retired SKIMS doctors. Ultimately, the region needs a patient-centered system that consolidates trust and specialist access under one roof, eliminating the need for patients to search across multiple clinics.”
The challenge lies in ensuring that professional flexibility does not come at the expense of patient convenience and continuity of care. Healthcare institutions also have a responsibility to improve transparency. Consultation schedules should be publicly available and updated regularly through hospital websites, digital platforms and helplines so that patients know exactly where and when a doctor is available. Better coordination among private healthcare providers would reduce confusion and improve accessibility without limiting doctors’ professional opportunities. There is also a broader policy dimension. Regulatory authorities may consider framing clear guidelines for post-retirement specialist practice that balance the rights of doctors with the interests of patients. Such guidelines need not be restrictive but should encourage structured appointments, predictable schedules and greater accountability. The objective should be to strengthen patient-centred healthcare rather than regulate professional choices unnecessarily. Medical ethics has always emphasised that the patient’s welfare comes first. While doctors naturally seek opportunities to continue practising, teaching and contributing after retirement, healthcare systems must ensure that patient interests remain at the centre of institutional decisions. Accessibility is not merely about the number of specialists available; it is equally about how easily patients can reach them when they need care. Jammu and Kashmir has made significant investments in expanding healthcare infrastructure, introducing new medical colleges and strengthening tertiary care services. To complement these investments, equal attention must be paid to improving patient experience. Organised specialist services, transparent consultation systems and continuity of care are essential elements of a modern healthcare system. Retired SKIMS doctors remain one of the region’s greatest medical assets. Their expertise deserves recognition and continued utilisation. At the same time, patients deserve a healthcare system where they are not compelled to search across multiple hospitals and clinics simply to consult the doctor they trust. Experience should remain accessible, but access itself must become simpler, more transparent and centred on the patient. A healthcare system works best when trust is built under one roof—not scattered across many.
