A Matter of Dignity in Healthcare

By Ajaz Rashid 

The ongoing complaints from women patients in Jammu and Kashmir over the absence of female staff in ECG rooms highlight a gap in our healthcare system that is too significant to ignore. An electrocardiogram is among the most common diagnostic procedures, yet for many women in the Valley, the thought of undergoing it in the presence of male technicians is fraught with hesitation and discomfort.

This is not merely about modesty. It is about ensuring that healthcare is accessible, dignified, and sensitive to the needs of every patient. When a woman delays or skips an ECG test due to the absence of female staff, it is not just her comfort at stake—it is her health, sometimes even her life.

Patient testimonies underscore the seriousness of the matter. For a procedure that requires exposure of the chest area, it is unreasonable to expect women to ignore cultural norms, personal modesty, and psychological comfort.

Doctors themselves admit that timely ECGs are often life-saving, and hesitation in taking the test undermines effective treatment. Health experts suggest that the solution is simple: ensure at least one trained female staff member is available in ECG rooms across hospitals. This is not a luxury—it is a necessity, much like deploying female staff in gynaecology wards.

The irony is that Jammu and Kashmir’s Health Minister, Sakina Itoo, is herself a woman. Patients and families rightly believe that she is in a unique position to empathize with the discomfort women experience and to act decisively. A clear directive from the Health and Medical Education Department can address this issue with minimal delay.

Healthcare is not just about medicines, machines, or infrastructure. It is about compassion, dignity, and the assurance that every patient—man or woman—can seek care without hesitation. The absence of female staff in ECG rooms may appear to be a minor administrative lapse, but in reality, it risks lives and deepens mistrust in the system.

It is time the government listens to the voices of women patients. The call is not for special privilege—it is for basic dignity in healthcare.