SHILLONG, FEB 2: Meghalaya high court on Tuesday directed for issuing of notices to the union and state governments over the pathetic health-care scenario provided by their hospitals including the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS).
The High court had taken sou-moto cognizance on the deficiency in health services in the state following a joint petition submitted by four practicing advocates to the acting Chief Justice SR Sen on Monday.
In his order issued on Tuesday, Sen had directed the Registrar General of the High Court to make Union Health Secretary, Government of India, Chief Secretary, Government of Meghalaya, Shillong, Secretary (Health), Government of Meghalaya, Shillong, Director NEIGHRIMS, Shillong, and Director of Health Services (MI), Government of Meghalaya, Shillong as respondents in the instant case.
“Issue notices to the above named respondents to show cause as to why rule should not be issued or any other order or orders should not be passed as found deemed fit and proper, since this petition has been taken up suo motu,” the acting chief justice said.
The court has also appointed senior counsels TT Diengdoh and A Sinha as Amicus Curiae to assist the court while fixing the next hearing on the matter on February 9, for counter affidavit and further order.
Referring to the joint petition, Sen had also stated in the order, “After perusal of the said letter, I find that there are prima facie issues involved, which needs to be addressed at the earliest for the need of the poor and common people of the State of Meghalaya.”
“All of us are aware that, NEIGHRIMS, Shillong has been set up for a long time back as a super specialists hospital to cater service to the people of north eastern region and particularly the state of Meghalaya, but hardly any super specialists, it appears that the equipment lying there are becoming junks as there are no manpower to utilize it,” the order said.
Stating that similar conditions occur with the Civil Hospital and other hospitals of the state as well as the CHCs/PHCs set up by the state government in the villages, the order said, “Sometimes doctors are available whereas medicines are not made available and when medicines are available, doctors are not available, that has been a pathetic scenario which infringed the rights of the citizen of the country and the State of Meghalaya.”- By Our Reporter
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