J&K High Court Directs UT Administration To Expedite PET Scan Installation In All Government Medical Colleges

A bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice Puneet Gupta has cautioned the administration to do the needful and file a compliance report within two months failing which it would be left with no option but to take cognizance under law.

The court's order came in response to a contempt petition filed by the petitioner, A.V. Gupta, seeking to enforce the earlier judgment of the court that had mandated the installation of these machines in all government medical colleges.

In a recent hearing, the bench addressed the inadequacies in the implementation of its earlier order as on February 17, 2016, the Court had mandated the installation of PET Scan machines in all government medical colleges across the state.

Despite some progress, with the State Cancer Institute at Jammu having installed its PET Scan machine and conducting 29 free scans as of August 8, 2024, the Court found that similar installations were lacking in other medical institutions.

“… status report reveals that the PET Scan Machine has already been installed in the State Cancer Institute, Jammu; the first PET Scan was performed on 18.07.2024 and till 08.08.2024 29 free of cost PET Scans have been done… However, the respondents have failed to show that what happened with regard to installation of PET Scan Machinery in other Government Medical Colleges of the State in terms of judgment dated 17.02.2016 delivered in WPPIL No.21/2015”, the bench recorded.

In light of these observations the respondents, who include state health authorities and the Chief Secretary, were directed to file a detailed compliance report addressing the status of installations at other government medical colleges, as ordered by the 2016 judgment.

The Court has scheduled the next hearing for October 30, 2024, to review the progress.

Case Title: AV Gupta Vs M. K Bhandari

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