I speak because silence = surrender. When the system normalises dysfunction, questioning becomes duty
In an era of Digital India, where everything from patient records to performance reviews is expected to be entered and tracked online, a strange contradiction has emerged in our health facilities. For the past two to three months, Wi-Fi services—the very backbone of digital reporting— have been non-functional across multiple facilities. On one side, we are flooded with instructions to update HMIS, ABHA, RCH, Nikshay, IDSP, NCD, online OPD (E-hospital) and countless other portals. On the other side, no internet connectivity exists to fulfil those demands. If 100% data is to be online, why are we left offline? Let me say this clearly: I have been witnessing this failure for quite a long time now. You may think I am always raising questions. Yes, I am, because someone has to, because I refuse to be silent in a system that normalises dysfunction. When no one else is ready to question, I find myself compelled to speak. You might also say that I am a “non-local Kashmiri”, why do I care?. I care because I work here. I take my salary from the UT of Ladakh. I treat myself as part of you, part of this system. And being part of this system means not just doing the duty, but also raising a voice when things go wrong. There is more to this Wi-Fi problem than merely a technical one. It indicates a system that is dependent and fragile. Does the Health Department depend on the National Health Mission (NHM) for everything? Does NHM’s lack of funding imply that the system must stop altogether? For the past three months, NHM employees have not been paid. There are unpaid internet bills. The services are halted. How long will we continue to operate in this manner, under pressure and without assistance, and still be expected to perform at a high level? Digital governance cannot work on broken promises and disconnected wires. If you expect accountability from the staff, then you must first ensure accountability from the system. Restore the internet. Release the pending salaries. Stop acting only when voices become loud. And to my colleagues, you should also learn to question. Because silence in a system like this is not peace, it is surrender. Raise your concerns. Raise your voice. That’s not rebellion, that’s responsibility. Because only when we question together can we fix what’s broken.
The writer is a Medical Officer at the PHC Shargole
Dr Fazal Wani
wa*******@***il.com