CHENNAI: A public interest writ petition has been filed in the Madras High Court for a direction to the State government to take urgent steps to ensure availability of life-saving medicines and medical equipment for treating patients in the government hospitals in the State.A division bench comprising Justices Elipe Dharma Rao and R Subbiah, before whom the PIL from advocate S Sathia Chandran came up for hearing last week, ordered notice to the authorities concerned.The bench also directed the Hindustan Photo Films Limited to supplyX-Ray films immediately.Petitioner contended that he was shocked to read newspaper reports stating that there was inadequate supply and availability of nitrous oxide and oxygen essential to perform surgeries. Nearly 50 surgeries had been put on hold at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in the city for want of nitrous oxide which was used as an anesthetic drug during surgery. The suppliers of nitrous oxide and oxygen had responded saying that they did notreceive any indent from the hospitals. Another news report stated that there was shortage of X-ray films also at government hospitals and primary health centers. The film was used not only for X-rays but also for CT-scans and related medical diagnostic aids, petitioner said.It was common knowledge that the government hospitals were flooded with patients from poor sections of society who have no means to undertake medical treatment. The state was bound to provide timely medical assistance to persons in serious conditions and denial of the same was violative of the right to life guaranteed underArticle 21 of the Constitution, petitioner contended.
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