MADURAI
The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Friday directed the Heath and Family Welfare department to submit details of the tender process for installation of Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET-CT) scanners at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai.
A Division Bench of Justices K.K. Sasidharan and P.D. Audikesavalu, hearing a contempt petition filed for authorities’ failure to instal the PET-CT scanners at the hospital, questioned the delay in implementing the project and asked the State if it could not sanction ₹ 15 crore towards procurement of the equipment.
The court took cognisance of an additional counter filed in the case by GRH Dean D. Maruthupandian, who submitted that Aravind Krishna Hospital, a private hospital in Sattur in Virudhunagar district, was the sole bidder in the tender floated by the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC). The counter was filed along with the agreement copy entered upon by the parties, as per the directions of the court.
Mr. Maruthupandian, in an earlier status report filed in the case, had said the commissioning process could be initiated only after the approval of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), Mumbai. As the PET-CT scanner was a heavy radiant equipment, a special building had to be constructed to house the equipment, he said, adding Public Works Department authorities had submitted a total estimate of ₹ 35 lakh for the construction of the building. The case was adjourned for hearing till November 28.