CHENNAI: A PIL petition has been filed in the Madras High Court on Tuesday seeking a direction to the Central government and its agencies to encourage medical research in India and to frame guidelines for performing heart surgeries at affordable rates.
A division bench of Justices M M Sundresh and R Hemalatha, before whom the petition from Dr K M Cherian, a noted heart surgeon attached to Frontier Lifeline Hospital in Kilpauk, came up for hearing on Tuesday, ordered notice to the authorities concerned, returnable by September 22.
Among other things, the petition prayed for a direction to the authorities, including the NITI Aayog and ICMR, to frame fresh guidelines to fund medical research as a separate stream and to provide appropriate time frame for financing the implementation of the medical research projects at affordable interest rates.
“Treatment for heart diseases can be provided at cheaper prices, if the governments at the Centre and in the States promote medical research and provide necessary assistance,” Cherian said in his petition.