Don’t use constraint of funds as an excuse: HC to Govt

SHILLONG, MAR 30: The Meghalaya High Court on Wednesday asked the state government to indicate concrete steps taken for setting up healthcare centres and augmenting the facilities at the existing ones to provide a basic infrastructure for healthcare which is woefully short at the moment.

“Both the long-term and the immediate short-term measures need to be indicated, preferably, upon obtaining expert advice in such regard,” the division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W Diengdoh said in its order.

Hearing a PIL, the bench said that though some recent efforts have been made to improve the healthcare system, a lot more needs to be done.

It has also asked the state government to seriously look into the several suggestions put forward to a high powered committee formed for the purpose – and does not use the constraint of funds as an excuse to not have a basic healthcare system in place extending across the breadth of the State, particularly in rural areas.

The bench further asserted that the problem in the healthcare system cannot be seen in isolation and there may be several other areas that need immediate attention.

Stating that the mere setting up of healthcare centres would be useless unless there is access thereto, it said access implies the construction of roads and in some parts of the State, as noticed in a matter pertaining to the Phulbari and Demdema areas of the West Garo Hills, even the basic roads from the District headquarters to the sub-divisional headquarters are not in place.

Ambulances need to be acquired in adequate numbers and medical facilities be made available closer to the villages, in addition to the facilities in the towns being augmented, it said.

The bench also said there are several other matters pending which could be said to be connected, including a matter pertaining to the abnormal number of deaths, both of mothers and newborns, during the lockdown for alleged lack of medical facilities to cater to their needs in the wake of the pandemic.

There is a further matter pertaining to the setting up of a specialised cancer treatment centre in the State, since the incidence of cancer is higher in the State than the national average and the consumption of tobacco and betel nuts is a part of the daily habit of most residents of the State, it added.

The next hearing is scheduled to be held on April 27.

By Our Reporter