Srinagar, Dec. 11 -- I've spent the last three years wandering Kashmir's government hospitals, where every step feels caught between hope and despair.Kashmir travel guide

I have watched, listened, and waited.

The scenes I've seen are flashes, bits of life that cut across numbers and reports.

They are patients and attendants living in waiting rooms thick with anxiety. The unspoken terror of illness presses against every wall.

SKIMS, the biggest hospital here, welcomes the city's emergencies with a sincerity that often goes unseen. Most doctors are committed, alert, and empathetic.

In an emergency, where seconds matter, they perform miracles under pressure. But, pressure is a constant companion.

In the triage room, two or three do...