This is an archive article published on July 14, 2016
Protests in Kashmir: Centre sends eye specialists for pellet victims
Former J&K CM Omar Abdullah had tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and, over a series of tweets, asked for eye and trauma specialists to be sent to Kashmir.
Omar Abdullah at the Martyrs’ Graveyard in Srinagar. (Source: Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi)
THE Union Health Ministry Wednesday rushed a three-member team of eye specialists from AIIMS, New Delhi, to Jammu and Kashmir, where hospitals are facing a crisis in treating eye injuries, given the high number of pellet injuries being referred amid the ongoing unrest.
In a statement issued in the evening, the ministry said Union Health Minister J P Nadda has assured all support to the state government. Nadda later tweeted, “We have sent a team of senior eye experts/specialists from AIIMS to J&K to assist the State. The team has reached Srinagar.”
The Indian Express had, on Monday, reported the need for attention to these patients. With all 72 beds at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital’s ophthalmology ward occupied — some by two patients — the hospital administration had to vacate half of the adjoining medicine ward to accommodate the rush of youths with eye injuries.
Ophthalmologist Dr Sajjad Khanday said they had operated on 92 patients by Monday. “We are overburdened,” he had said.
The problem of pellet injuries is far from over. On Tuesday evening, Insha Mushtaq, a 15-year-old Class IX student, was rushed to SMHS hospital with pellets sprayed on her head. Insha, a resident of far-off Sedow village in Shopian, was sitting in her room when she was hit — by “police who were shooting pellets directly towards the houses,” according to her cousin Vakil Ahmad.
Doctors said Insha may not be able to see again. “The pellets have ruptured one eye and she has lost 97 per cent vision in the other eye,” a doctor at the ophthalmology ward said. “It would be useless to take out the pellets, as some of them are inside her brain.”
A special ward for the pellet victims has been set up in the ophthalmology section of the hospital, which has treated more than 100 in the last five days. Technicians at the hospital said they have received around 400 pellet victims in these five days.
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Earlier on Wednesday morning, former J&K CM and National Conference working president Omar Abdullah had tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and, over a series of tweets, asked for eye and trauma specialists to be sent to Kashmir.
Referring to Modi’s visit to Kerala with a team of specialists from AIIMS soon after a devastating fire at a temple in Kollam, Omar tweeted, “Hon [honorable] @narendramodi ji. After Kerala fire you carried a plane load of burn specialists with you. Please send eye/trauma specialists to Kashmir.”
In a subsequent tweet, he said, “The injured include SF [security forces] persons & young boys who risk losing their sight forever. This is the time to reach out with a healing touch.”
Soon after, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti spoke with Health Minister Nadda and “requested him to send a specialised team of doctors, including retina surgeons,” the state government said in a statement.
Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter.
Expertise and Experience
Two Decades of Frontline Reporting: Bashaarat has spent 20 years documenting the evolution of Kashmir, from high-intensity conflict and political shifts to socio-economic development.
Award-Winning Investigative Journalism: He is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2012). This honor was bestowed for his reporting on the Pathribal fake encounter, a series of stories that highlighted his ability to handle sensitive human rights and security issues with investigative rigor.
Specialized Beats: His authoritative coverage spans:
Political Transitions: Tracking the shift from statehood to Union Territory, electoral dynamics, and the pulse of local governance.
Security & Conflict: Providing nuanced reporting on counter-insurgency, civil liberties, and the impact of the conflict on the civilian population.
Development: Documenting the infrastructure, healthcare, and educational landscape within the Valley.
Academic Background: He holds a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir, providing him with a localized academic and professional foundation that is rare in regional reporting. ... Read More
Omar Abdullah at the Martyrs’ Graveyard in Srinagar. (Source: Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi)
