Plea to fill vacancies, provide adequate equipment in medical college hospitals
The Madras High Court has issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu government regarding a petition to address severe staffing and equipment shortages in state-run medical college hospitals. The petitioner highlights that these deficiencies violate constitutional obligations to provide essential healthcare.
Why it matters
Chronic underfunding and staffing gaps in public hospitals directly affect the quality of life and survival rates for citizens relying on state healthcare.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has sought response from the State to the public interest litigation petition seeking a direction to the government to fill vacancies in the posts of doctors, nurses and other staff and provide adequate medical equipment in government medical college hospitals in southern and central districts within its jurisdiction.
The notice was ordered by a Division Bench of Justices C.V. Karthikeyan and R. Sakthivel, which was hearing the petition filed by K. Muruganandam of Vallathirakottai in Pudukkottai district. The petitioner sought a direction to the State to fill sanctioned posts in the medical college hospitals.
He said he had filed RTI applications asking about sanctioned strength of doctors, nurses and other staff, and the availability of equipment such as ventilators and haemodialysis machines in these hospitals. The replies to the applications revealed significant staffing and equipment deficits, he said.
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