The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh on Tuesday initiated suo motu proceedings after taking note of alarming reports that cardiac procedures at the Government Super Speciality Hospital (GSSH), Jammu, had come to a complete standstill due to suspension of life-saving supplies over unpaid dues.
A Bench of Chief Justice Arun Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal observed that the situation directly affected the lives of vulnerable patients and therefore warranted judicial intervention. “Ex facie, the matter is highly sensitive. Thus, we are impelled to take suo motu cognisance of the prevailing conditions,” the court said.
The Bench directed the Registrar (Judicial) to register the matter as a public interest petition titled “Court on its own motion versus Nemo” and place it before the same Bench during the day. On the request of Amicus Curiae S S Ahmed, the proceedings were deferred to December 29.
Referring to a report published in Excelsior, the court noted that authorised vendors had stopped supplying essential cardiac devices — including stents, pacemakers, balloons and Cath Lab consumables — due to unpaid dues amounting to nearly ₹30 crore under the Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY).
The Bench recorded that GSSH typically performs 25 cardiac procedures every day. However, owing to the supply suspension, “not a single heart-related intervention could be carried out throughout the day”, leaving critical patients without treatment and paralysing Cath Lab operations.
The Jammu and Kashmir Health Department has initiated a “detailed inquiry” to determine the causes behind the shutdown, fix accountability, and recommend preventive measures. The department has also directed the drug controller to seal the medical shops of defaulting suppliers for rule violations.
The development took place during the hearing of four long-pending PILs seeking improved medical infrastructure in Srinagar and Jammu and for regulating private nursing homes and health centres in line with national standards.
The court noted with concern that despite the passage of more than a decade and the filing of 15 status or compliance reports, critical issues remained unresolved, reflecting systemic gaps in public healthcare management.
Amicus Curiae Ahmed told the court he had reviewed all pleadings and orders and sought time to prepare a consolidated affidavit outlining issues needing adjudication.
Notices have been issued to the relevant government departments and officers.
