Srinagar, June 6 -- By Syed Nissar H Gilani

I lay in a remote district hospital in Kashmir this February, my body wracked by relentless food poisoning after a simple breakfast.

Six days of intravenous fluids and tests followed. Dedicated doctors worked around the clock to stabilize me. Their equipment delivered results at minimal or no cost.

That local care showed the best of our public system.

But when my condition refused to improve, those same doctors made a decisive call at midnight: transfer me to Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar.

The journey through dark roads brought me straight into SKIMS emergency ward. Staff moved with precision despite the late hour. I chose the paying ward for calmer surroundings....