Another grim chapter unfolded in Srinagar’s SMHS Hospital late last night on July 22, where a resident doctor from Uttar Pradesh was allegedly assaulted by a patient’s attendant in the emergency ward after the patient died. In response, doctors staged a protest demanding immediate action against the assailant. While such demonstrations have become tragically routine, they point to a much deeper, systemic failure—one that lies squarely at the feet of both the public and the government. Violence against healthcare professionals has become disturbingly common in Jammu and Kashmir. According to a study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, nearly 75% of doctors in the country have faced verbal or physical abuse at work. Emergency wards, where emotions run high and outcomes are unpredictable, are the most common sites of these assaults. But normalizing such violence as a by-product of high-stress environments is dangerous and deeply unjust. Doctors, especially residents, work in exhausting shifts, often under immense pressure and with limited resources. Blaming them for deaths that often result from systemic healthcare failures—such as delayed referrals, late arrivals, or lack of infrastructure—is unfair. However, such frustration from patients’ families frequently escalates into violence due to the absence of proper grievance redressal mechanisms. At the heart of this crisis lies a critical policy vacuum. The government has consistently failed to establish independent, transparent mechanisms for investigating allegations of medical negligence. In the absence of credible probes, public trust in doctors erodes. This mistrust, coupled with grief and anger, too often culminates in attacks. Instead of being reactive—launching arrests only after protests or strikes—governments must take preemptive and structural action. States like West Bengal and Maharashtra have passed laws to protect medical staff, but implementation remains half-hearted. Hospitals must be declared protected zones, with dedicated police presence in emergency departments. More importantly, a robust medico-legal framework should be instituted to examine adverse outcomes swiftly and fairly, separating genuine cases of negligence from unfortunate but inevitable deaths. Moreover, the public must be educated about the limitations of medicine. Every life lost is a tragedy, but not every death is the result of incompetence. Emotional outbursts are understandable, but they cannot justify criminal acts. Inaction emboldens attackers. When culprits walk free or are treated with leniency, a dangerous message is sent—that doctors can be assaulted without consequences. This not only demoralizes the medical fraternity but also endangers patient care in the long run. It is time the government stopped treating violence against doctors as an occupational hazard and addressed it as the legal and moral crisis that it truly is.