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.

The petitioner said the Supreme Court, in the landmark Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity vs. State of West Bengal, recognised the State’s constitutional obligation to ensure availability of adequate healthcare infrastructure, trained personnel and functional life-saving equipment, and directed that public hospitals should maintain the minimum standards of service and timely redressal of deficiencies.

The RTI replies disclosed widespread and chronic shortfalls at the government medical college hospitals and the substantial vacancies in the posts of doctors, nurses and ancillary staff, and a significant number of non-functional ventilators and haemodialysis machines demonstrated the failure by the government in discharging its duty of providing essential public health services, he said.

The vacancies in the posts of doctors, medical officers and other supporting staff, together with the inadequate life‐saving medical equipment posed a major risk to the people who went to the hospitals for treatment, and also increased the workload and mental pressure on doctors, nurses and other staff.

The inadequacy of such life-saving medical equipment compelled patients to approach private hospitals and private diagnostic laboratories for their treatment, he said. The court posted the matter for hearing to October 6.

Published - August 11, 2026 09:35 pm IST