Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 11: In a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking better care of cancer patients by providing all requisite facilities in the Medical Colleges of Jammu and Srinagar, Division Bench of State High Court comprising Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Janak Raj Kotwal today issued notice to Commissioner Secretary Health and Medical Education Department returnable within one week with the direction to file an affidavit regarding the assertions noticed by this court.
After hearing petitioner-in-person Senior Advocate AV Gupta, DB observed, “as per Senior Advocate A V Gupta, the Medical College at Jammu does not have an Oncologist with the requisite degree or training to treat patients suffering from cancer. Besides this, it is stated that basic machinery in the nature of PET Scan Machine, which is used for detecting the malaise of cancer at the very inception, is not available in either of the Medical Colleges at Jammu and Srinagar”.
“Besides this, it has been urged by the petitioner that the department lacks the basic medicines, which are required to treat cancer patients and denial of such medicines and treatment to patients suffering from cancer is, thus, stated to be in violation of Article 21 of the Constitution of India”, the DB further observed.
After hearing Advocate Gupta in length, DB issued notice to Commissioner Secretary Health and Medical Education Department returnable within one week with the direction to file an affidavit regarding the assertions noticed by this court.
“He shall reflect in the affidavit details as regards the faculty and other support staff in the Department of Oncology, the qualifications of the faculty, faculty members lacking the requisite qualifications as per MCI Rules and Regulations and also as per Rules framed by the State prescribing qualifications for such faculty members, machinery provided in the Department of Oncology and the details of machinery which ought to be provided in the department to make it meaningfully and substantially functional, medicines and treatment which are provided to patients as also details of such medicines and treatment which ought to be provided but have not been so provided”, the DB directed.
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