Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Dec 25: Jammu and Kashmir High Court has issued notice to the Government and the governing body of SKIMS headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on a Public Interest Litigation seeking directions including special audit into “mismanagement” in the hospital as well as registration of an FIR against its director for “5650 deaths” in last two years.
A Division Bench of Justices Muzaffar Hussain Attar and Tashi Rabstan issued the notice with a direction to the respondents to file response within four weeks.
The PIL was filed by Azad Ashraf Peer, a resident of Solina, Srinagar, through his advocate Bhat Fayaz.
Director AIIMS, Director General Health Services New Delhi and Director ICMR have also been arrayed as respondents in the PIL.
The petitioner seeks directions to the respondents to constitute a team of experts to look into the deaths caused in the tertiary care hospital because of “negligence” of the authorities.
He also sought directions to relieve the Director SKIMS, who is holding ten portfolios, from “hectic assignments” so that he can take better care of SKIMS.
The petitioner has also sought directions to the State Government to quash the appointment of Director SKIMS, Dr. Showkat Ahmad Zargar and “prosecute him under the Criminal Law for willfully and intentionally killing patients.”
“FIR be registered against Director SKIMS for 5650 deaths in general and that of Mst Dilshada of Bandipora in particular,” the PIL read, adding, the respondents be commanded to disclose all the steps taken for ensuring the right to health care people of the state.
The petitioner has also alleged irregularities in purchase of oxygen plant worth Rs 1.6 crores, haematology equipments, ventilators, monitors, anaesthesia machine, laparoscopic systems and open care system.
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