The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has sought response from the State to the public interest litigation petition seeking a direction to the government to fill vacancies in the posts of doctors, nurses and other staff and provide adequate medical equipment in government medical college hospitals in southern and central districts within its jurisdiction. The petitioner sought a direction to the State to fill sanctioned posts in the medical college hospitals. He said he had filed RTI applications asking about sanctioned strength of doctors, nurses and other staff, and the availability of equipment such as ventilators and haemodialysis machines in these hospitals. The vacancies in the posts of doctors, medical officers and other supporting staff, together with the inadequate life‐saving medical equipment posed a major risk to the people who went to the hospitals for treatment, and also increased the workload and mental pressure on doctors, nurses and other staff. The inadequacy of such life-saving medical equipment compelled patients to approach private hospitals and private diagnostic laboratories for their treatment, he said.