HC seeks AG’s assistance, status report on PET Scan machines in J&K

Jammu, July 2: The High Court of J&K and Ladakh has sought assistance of Advocate General as well as a brief status report as regards appointment of doctors and installation of PET Scan machines in Jammu and Kashmir.
Hearing a contempt petition in Public Interest Litigation filed in 2017, seeking direction to the government to provide basic health facilities for treatment of cancer in J&K, a division bench of Chief Justice N. Kotiswar Singh and Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi also requested the Advocate General to assist the Court in the matter.

“Keeping in view the importance of the issue, we request the learned Advocate General to assist the Court in the matter and file a brief status report with regard to appointment of doctors and installation of PET Scan machines,” the Court said and ordered listing of the plea on July 16.
The petition, filed in 2017,  also seeks directions to the government to provide adequate number of oncologists, Oncosurgeons, PET scan machines and all other expertise in the relevant field for the treatment of various types of cancers in Jammu and Kashmir.
The petitioner, A V Gupta, said that the authorities discharging public functions are bound not only to comply with the orders passed by the Court but also to discharge their public obligations with seriousness, especially when the same impacts the health of the citizens.
In February this year, the court had also sought to know from the authorities as to whether the PET scan machine which was stated to have been installed in SKIMS Soura, Srinagar, is being operated by a candidate who has been appointed on academic arrangement basis or on regular basis.