Order of the Kerala High Court in the matter of Human Rights Foundations Vs State of Kerala dated 04/10/2023.

According to the petitioners, General Hospital, Ernakulam and many other such hospitals are fully equipped and competent to accommodate intrinsic surgeries, including in the cardiac department, it is not being done effectively because there are no cardiac surgeons available.

The government pleader informed the court that no post of cardiac surgeon has ever been created in the General Hospital, Ernakulam or in other such institutions, which comes under the Director of Health Services and that cardiac surgeries are being done there with the aid of surgeons from other institutions, including the medical colleges. He requested the court for a few days' time to place on record the details through a written statement.

The HC accepted the request and observed that "general hospitals are the mainstay of the medical requirements of ordinary citizens and surely, therefore, are required to be maintained as "splendid centres of excellence".

It had also come to the notice of the court that several top ranking surgeons are willing to offer their services "altruistically to the General Hospital on specified dates". However, this will require a decision to be taken initially by the superintendent of the hospital, and by other authorities, the court said.