Author : Muneer Ahmad
The place is RustumGari, but we Kashmiris know it as Drugjan. In this blog, we will learn about the famous place called Drogjan, how this hospital was established, and the hard work the British put in despite official opposition. The British had many reasons for coming to the valley, but two were primary: they wanted to escape the heat of mainland India and relax in the cool climate of Kashmir, and they aimed to preach the Gospel truth under Christianity. Their arrival had a great positive impact on Kashmir, as their work in literature, education, healthcare, and tourism provides great details about our past, helping us understand how Kashmir was 200 years ago. To connect with the masses, the British chose the healthcare and education sectors, which became the foundation of our modern education and healthcare systems. However, establishing these was not easy. Robert Clark and Col. Martin took ten years to establish this hospital. At that time, all Britishers were required to leave Kashmir ahead of winter, as the government wanted to conceal the conditions of Kashmiris. Lord Dalhousie passed a law to enforce this, possibly because keeping an eye on visitors was easier in summer than in winter due to the Durbar Move.
On May 8, 1865, Dr. Elmslie opened a dispensary here, but only ten patients visited on the first day due to many restrictions. Doctors were not allowed to rent any place, and Kashmiris were not allowed to visit them. Despite these challenges, the British persevered, running the Mission Hospital in a temporary tent house with officials deployed around to restrict visits from Kashmiri patients. Around 100 years ago, European-style buildings were constructed, including a church where the British preached Christianity and provided medicine, prayers, and food to Kashmiris. This used to be a TB sanatorium offering all basic facilities to TB patients, who were often alienated from society due to the infectious nature of the disease. Despite limited diagnostic approaches, the British were kind enough to keep such patients in the sanatorium. Dr. Elmslie, who gave his life for this hospital, ran it in a tent for ten years. In 1872, following an order to evacuate from the valley during winter, he returned to mainland India and died, leading the government to roll back the order requiring Britishers to leave Kashmir as winter started. Thus, Drogjan Hospital became the foundation stone for the modern healthcare system in the valley. After Drogjan, the Rainawari Hospital for Women was started. Due to the lack of a formal healthcare system, locals resorted to the Hakeemi System of Healthcare.