JAMMU, Dec. 10 -- Following abrupt halt at the cath lab in government super speciality hospital here in Jammu city after local vendors stopped supplies of stents and other equipment over pending dues on Monday, the J&K High Court took suo motu cognisance on Tuesday and listed the matter for urgent hearing on December 11. However, health authorities claimed that they had restored the cath lab at the hospital by Tuesday evening. "The high court took suo motu cognisance of the issue and has now listed the matter for urgent hearing on December 11," said senior high court lawyer Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed. The directions from a division bench comprising chief justice Arun Palli and justice Rajnesh Oswal came while adjudicating a bunch of four PILs filed by Citizens Forum seeking adequate medical facilities in rural and urban areas. "Ex facie, the matter is highly sensitive. Thus, we are impelled to take suo motu cognisance of the prevailing conditions," observed the two judges on abrupt halt of services at the cath lab.However, top sources in the health department claimed that the local vendors allegedly connived with some disgruntled insiders and without any prior notice stopped the supplies of stents, pacemakers, balloons and other devices."A cartel is being run there to blackmail the government. The government releases payments in phases but these four local vendors in connivance with insiders circumvented the situation," said a top health official. Principal of GMC, Jammu, Dr Ashutosh Gupta said, "The cath lab has been restored by Tuesday. The government has assured to clear dues of local vendors but action under rules shall follow and we are going to blacklist them." htc...