Flagging the state of ailing public healthcare infrastructure, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed both Punjab and Haryana to ensure that every district hospital is equipped with at least one CT Scan machine, one MRI machine and an ICU, while also ordering urgent recruitment against massive vacancies of regular doctors.Issuing strong directions in a PIL, the Bench headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu also mandated that the States must immediately issue advertisements to fill vacant posts of Medical Officers (General and Specialist) after citing a severe manpower deficit in the public health system.The court’s finding was blunt – district hospitals in both States continue to lack basic diagnostic and critical care infrastructure.Quoting its constitutional expectation from the State, the Bench observed: “Being a welfare State, where health and well-being of citizens is one of the prime sovereign responsibilities of the State, the least that is required of the States of Punjab and Haryana is to provide at least one CT Scan machine and one MRI machine in every district hospital of both the States. Each district hospital should also have an ICU with such number of beds as are commensurate to the requirement of each district hospital.”The court further clarified that the infrastructure could not be operated through external control: “The purchase and installation of the machines in both the States was required to be ‘under the ownership, control and management of staff of the district hospital concerned, and not controlled by outsiders.”The directions were issued after the Bench found that affidavits filed by Punjab and Haryana failed to answer a basic institutional gap. The Punjab Health Department’s additional affidavits “did not explain in clear terms” why district hospitals still lacked CT Scan and MRI facilities. The Bench also recorded that the position was “not different” in Haryana’s affidavit.The court had earlier expressed “surprise and shock” over the fact that Malerkotla district hospital had no ICU, a disclosure not disputed by Punjab. On manpower, the court flagged Punjab’s own data showing 3,665 sanctioned posts of Medical Officer (General) and 2,050 of Medical Officer (Specialist). “The extent of vacancies of regular medical officers in the State is to the tune of 2877 – 2042 in regard to medical officer (general) and 835 as regards medical officer (specialist,” the Bench observed.Haryana’s affidavit, the court noted, did not even separately disclose vacancy figures for general and specialist medical officers. Taking serious note of the shortage, the Bench directed both States to “forthwith issue advertisements” to fill vacant regular posts of Medical Officers and Specialists. Compliance reports have been sought from both States before the next hearing on July 6.The Bench had initially questioned Punjab’s decision to outsource CT scan and MRI facilities in a civil hospital after asserting that the State was duty-bound under its sovereign function to provide basic healthcare facilities.The assertions and directions came as the court examined the functioning of Malerkotla Civil Hospital during the hearing on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Bhisham Kinger. Expressing dissatisfaction, the Bench had asserted: “This court fails to understand as to why a private laboratory is required to be engaged, when the State is duty-bound under its sovereign function of providing basic health care facilities, which includes purchase of CT scan and MRI machines, which in present times are necessities of modern time hospital amenities to be available at district as well as sub division-level hospitals.”