Taking up a petition filed in public interest on the state of public healthcare infrastructure in Punjab, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday questioned the state government over inadequate number of MRI machines across Punjab and virtually turned the spotlight on what it termed the obligation of a “welfare state” towards its citizens.During the hearing, the Bench headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu observed that “everybody needs an MRI machine, or a CT scan machine” and asked the State: “Why do you deprive the people who have voted for you of those facilities?”The court was hearing a matter relating to healthcare facilities in district hospitals when it was informed that MRI facilities were being provided through a “cluster system” under which one MRI machine catered to four or five districts.The Bench reacted sharply, observing: “Patients are not getting treatment from the district hospital.”The High Court also took note of the vacancies in the healthcare sector. It was told that out of 3,665 sanctioned posts of regular medical officers (general), only 1,624 were filled, leaving 2,042 vacant. Similarly, out of 2,050 sanctioned specialist posts, 834 were vacant.When the State attempted to explain that additional doctors were working under various schemes, including Aam Aadmi Clinics and National Health Mission, the Bench repeatedly asked what concrete steps were being taken to fill the regular vacancies.The court was also informed that Punjab presently had 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics with MBBS doctors, 145 doctors under NHM, 503 rural medical officers, 152 house surgeons, 114 empanelled specialists and 101 NHM specialists working in the state.Appearing in the public interest litigation, counsel for the petitioner has earlier submitted that the situation on the ground remained grim. “There is also no ICU in Malerkotla. Every single day is costing some life. No treatment has given in the civil hospital Malerkotla,” he told the court, while referring to the human cost of administrative inaction.The High Court on January 27 had termed the absence of an ICU at the Malerkotla district hospital as “shocking” and sought a comprehensive affidavit from the State Health Secretary detailing ICU facilities in all district hospitals across Punjab.Taking note of the submission made by counsel for the petitioner in open court, the Bench had observed: “It was pointed out that there is no ICU in the district hospital at Malerkotla. It is not only a little surprising, but shocking.”Enlarging the scope of the issue to cover the civil hospitals in other districts as well, the Bench asserted: “Let the affidavit be filed by the Secretary regarding all district hospitals as regards availability of ICUs.”The court had also expressed concern over the lack of essential diagnostic infrastructure at the district level and directed the State of Punjab to explain “as to why the CT scan machine as well as MRI machine should not be made essential for every district hospital, especially looking to the population each district hospital caters to.”Referring to the data placed on record by the State itself, the Bench had noted that MRI machines were available in only six districts, even though Punjab presently had 23 districts. The court remarked that the situation was “more unfortunate” in view of the scale at which district hospitals were required to cater to emergency and referral cases.