“Why J&K’s medical council should introduce a course on patient consultation by adopting the legacy of Dr. Ali Jan—a peoples doctor”
In an age when medicine is increasingly becoming technology-driven, the human side of healing is at risk of being lost. While machines may help diagnose, it is the doctor’s words, presence, and manner that often begin the healing process. In the context of Jammu and Kashmir, where pain runs deeper than the body and extends into the psyche and soul, there is an urgent need to restore a forgotten dimension of medical care—the art of patient consultation. It is time that the Jammu and Kashmir Medical Council (JKMC) introduces a formal one-month course on “Patient Consultation,” especially designed to reflect the values and wisdom of Kashmir’s most iconic physician, Dr. Ali Mohammad Jan, popularly remembered as the Hakeem Luqman of Kashmir. This course should not merely be another academic addition to the MBBS or postgraduate curriculum. It should serve as a bridge between medical science and medical ethics, between the clinical mind and the compassionate heart, and between efficiency and empathy. The model for this proposal lies not in Western theories but in the lived legacy of our own Dr. Ali Jan. Dr. Ali Jan was a towering figure in Kashmiri medicine during the mid-20th century. He was not only an exceptionally skilled physician but also a man of rare humility, generosity, and cultural rootedness. Known for treating patients regardless of their socio-economic status, and often refusing fees from the poor, Dr. Jan embodied the Hippocratic oath in its truest sense. He believed that medicine was as much about listening and reassuring as it was about prescribing and diagnosing. It was often said of him that half the illness disappeared when he merely spoke to the patient. His manner of listening—with patience, respect, and quiet concentration—created a space of healing. There was no arrogance, no rush, no sense of hierarchy between the doctor and the patient. Everyone was treated as a full human being. This is precisely what the medical profession in Kashmir—and indeed across India—needs to learn once again. The importance of patient consultation is often underestimated in medical education. Students are rigorously trained in anatomy, physiology, pathology, and pharmacology. But they are seldom taught how to sit with a patient and listen without interruption, observe with sensitivity, communicate with clarity, and respond with compassion. These are not intuitive traits—they are skills that can and must be taught. In today’s clinical settings, especially in government hospitals, we see a stark decline in the quality of doctor-patient interactions. Consultations are often rushed. There is little time for listening. Patients leave with prescriptions but without assurance. This is not merely a system failure—it is a cultural shift away from the humane values that once defined the medical profession in Kashmir. While the National Medical Commission (NMC) has introduced AETCOM (Attitude, Ethics and Communication) modules across India, these are generic in nature. What Jammu and Kashmir needs is a region-specific, culture-sensitive, and historically rooted approach to patient consultation. A course designed around the values and practices of Dr. Ali Jan would not only provide this cultural grounding but also preserve the legacy of one of Kashmir’s most revered healers. Such a course would equip young doctors to understand the cultural psyche of Kashmiri patients, their idioms of distress, and their deep-rooted expectations from doctors. It would teach them how to communicate in ways that respect the local language, faith, traditions, and emotional landscape of the people.
“Medicine in Kashmir was revered, with doctors seen as moral guides and emotional anchors, not just prescribers. Dr. Ali Jan embodies this sacred bond, highlighting the need to revive it through education for a more fulfilling medical profession in Kashmir.”
The course should be mandatory for all MBBS interns and postgraduates across government and private medical colleges in J&K. It could be structured into four weekly modules with rigorous training and practical demonstrations.
Week 1; The Art Of Listening: Practically demonstrate techniques for active and empathetic listening. How to recognize emotional and verbal cues from the patient. How to avoidpremature interruption. And how to respectsilence as a diagnostic tool.
Week 2; Ethics Of Empathy: It is important to bring back empathy and the case studies from the life of Dr. Ali Jan is the way out. Understanding dignity, equality, and humility in practice is also an important dimension to look into. Study the ethics in dealing with the poor, women, elderly, and terminally ill to improve patient-doctor relation.
Week 3; Words That Heal: How to break bad news without causing emotional collapse is extremely important lesson that medicos must practice. How to deal with anger, fear, grief, and confusion in patients is another lesson of importance in consultation. Avoiding medical jargon; speaking the patient’s languageand then forming the opinion can work well.
Week 4; Cultural Sensitivity & Practical Demonstrations: Training on local customs, religious beliefs, family dynamics; Simulated consultation sessions with feedback, and finally evaluation through mock interviews and patient satisfaction feedback should be made the parts of consultation.
Footnote: Across the globe, especially in the UK’s NHS, Canada’s medical schools, and in the Netherlands, patient communication and consultation skills are core components of medical training. These nations realized early that healing is not just a clinical task—it is also a relational process. Studies consistently show that better doctor-patient communication leads to better compliance, reduced litigation, lower stress for doctors, and overall improved health outcomes. In India, institutions like AIIMS and CMC Vellore have started structured communication training. But these are often urban-centered and do not reflect the emotional and cultural specificities of regions like Kashmir. J&K has the opportunity to become the first in India to introduce a culturally tailored patient consultation course grounded in its own medical heritage. What we are proposing is not just a pedagogical intervention but a moral and cultural reclamation. Medicine in Kashmir was once seen as a sacred calling. People saw doctors as moral guides and emotional anchors—not just dispensers of tablets and injections. Dr. Ali Jan’s life is a testimony to that sacred relationship. Reintroducing this legacy through structured education will do more than just improve patient satisfaction—it will restore the soul of the medical profession in Kashmir. The Jammu and Kashmir Medical Council (JKMC), in collaboration with medical colleges, can take the lead in designing and implementing this course. Senior faculty and retired practitioners who were trained in the 1960s–80s and who imbibed the ethics of that generation should be invited to mentor and guide the young. Workshops, patient feedback sessions, and documentation of real-life stories can be part of the resource base. The course can be credited under CME (Continuing Medical Education) for practicing doctors as well. There are very few doctors in history who are remembered not just for their diagnoses but for their gentle touch, humble voice, and healing presence. Dr. Ali Jan was one such rare gem. By introducing a one-month course on patient consultation inspired by his values, we will not only be paying tribute to his life but ensuring that his legacy becomes a living practice for future generations.Let us not wait until patients completely lose faith in the humanity of healthcare. Let us act now—firmly, wisely, and respectfully—to bring the soul back into medicine.
(The author is an Assistant Professor with J&K Higher Education Department based in Gowhar Pora Chadoora of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district. 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”)
Dr. Ashraf Zainabi
