Early Times Report
JAMMU, Mar 12: Hearing the much-publicised suo-moto PIL, Court on its own motion Vs UT of J&K, initiated on the basis of a media report published in Daily Excelsior regarding sudden stoppage of life-saving cardiac implants, stents and consumables affecting critical cardiac services such as angiography, angioplasty, stenting and CCU management, the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh directed the authorities to file a specific affidavit indicating the precise delivery schedule of newly procured CT Scan machines and the time required to make them operational.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal passed the direction while hearing WP(C) PIL No. 15/2025, Court on its own motion Vs Commissioner/Secretary to Health and Medical Education Department and others. Appearing in the matter were M/s S S Ahmed and S S Chouhan, Advocates, for the petitioner side, while Ms Monika Kohli, Senior Additional Advocate General, represented the respondents.
During the hearing, Mr Tariq H. Ganai, Managing Director, Jammu and Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation (JKMSC), joined the proceedings online and informed the court that purchase orders for seven 128-slice CT Scan machines had been issued in April, August and December 2025. He submitted that four of these machines are to be installed in hospitals in Jammu province and the remaining three in Srinagar province. The court was further told that the scheduled date of delivery of these machines at Mumbai Port is March 2026 and that all possible efforts are being made to ensure that no time is lost in making them functional after delivery.
The Bench took note of the submission and granted short accommodation for filing of a specific affidavit on the exact date of delivery and the timeframe needed for operationalisation of the machines.
At this stage, Mr S S Ahmed, learned Amicus, submitted that he had moved an application to place on record certain documents issued by the Directorate of Health Services, Jammu, which, according to him, establish that the Head of Department, Department of Radio Diagnosis, Government Medical College Jammu, was involved in private practice in violation of norms and Government Order No. 43-HME of 2013 dated January 17, 2013. On this, the court issued notice, which was accepted by Ms Monika Kohli, learned Senior Additional Advocate General, who sought short time to obtain instructions.
Among the officers present during the hearing were Dr Ashutosh Gupta, Principal, Government Medical College Jammu, and Joginder Singh, SSP Jammu, both through virtual mode, while R S Chowdhary, Sub-Inspector, was present in person. The matter has now been adjourned to April 7, 2026. (JNF) |
