Srinagar, May 16 -- When Dr. Shabir Ahmad's phone rings at midnight, he doesn't wait to check if it's an emergency. He pulls on a worn jacket, grabs his old medical bag, and steps into the darkness.

Sometimes it's a heart attack, sometimes a baby on the way, and sometimes, just a neighbour too poor or too frightened to go to the hospital alone.

It has been like this for years in his corner of South Kashmir, a place where the nearest specialist is two hours away, and power cuts are so frequent that surgeries are often done under phone flashlights.

This isn't unusual. Across the Kashmir Valley, doctors have become more than just health workers. They are drivers, educators, mental health counselors, and lifelines. Their work begins long b...