The condition of super-specialty hospital lays bare the state of affairs in government run hospitals and ambitious projects launched to get on track the derailed public health care system. The condition some hospitals are in is not surprising as most government hospitals suffer from similar disease. Although government-run hospitals are classified primarily on the basis of their being primary, peripheral and tertiary care hospitals with the last being specialty hospitals, one of the yardsticks continues to be hospital beds. This makes sense because all tertiary hospitals are overburdened with large influx of patients on daily basis. Extra beds, therefore, is always a welcome step. But with space limitation, government has been encouraging establishing new hospital compounds. What is unfortunate is that it is time consuming and usually takes years to make new hospitals fully functional. The delays are unwarranted when public health care is in tatters. The government and concerned ministry cannot put forth the excuse of being “busy” with other projects. Doctors and medical fraternity also have their own interests, as super specialty hospitals retain qualified and some of the best doctors that Jammu and Kashmir has. In the absence of such a hospital or super specialty facilities being established in hospitals where it is possible, Jammu and Kashmir is losing good doctors. It also affects the public health care system as only minor procedures are done in the hospitals, whereas for all major procedures people have to move out of Jammu and Kashmir. In the case of the ambitious super specialty hospital project, years are a long time to make it fully functional. If after all this time patients and certain services have to fall back on the select few hospitals, then it is certainly not going in the right direction. One of the issues with tertiary hospitals is reducing the pressure on them by making necessary provisions in new hospitals or health care units. Even in private sector, the existing hospitals are not fit to provide services for major procedures. For patients suffering there is no option but to seek treatment in other states. Earlier paucity of funds was cited as one explanation to fit all poorly performing projects, with some stuck in limbo for years together. Internally, the hospitals function well while making most of the available resources, but at a level where government intervention is needed and is essential a lot is missing. The government must commit to improving condition of not only tertiary care hospitals but also to district, sub district and primary health care centres.