Meghalaya HC asks State to exempt hospitals from power cuts

SHILLONG, JUNE 14: The Meghalaya High Court on Wednesday asked the State to exempt hospitals from power cuts.

Hearing a PIL on the matter, the division bench comprising of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W Diengdoh said, “The State should make every endeavour to ensure that even if the need arises in future to restrict the continuous supply of power on account of any shortfall, the hospitals and like institutions are exempted or, there is backup available by way of diesel generator sets for the hospitals and like institutions to run seamlessly and unaffected by power cuts.”

The State submitted that by and large hospitals have been exempted from power cuts, provided they are connected by high tension feeder lines. It appears that even the Civil Hospital in Shillong does not have a high tension feeder line that caters to the entirety of the hospital.

The State also said that North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences has been spared of power cuts.

The Court has asserted that apart from the fact that hospitals across the State and the healthcare centres need to be improved qualitatively with better equipment, more experts and greater facilities, the most elementary thing that must be ensured is the uninterrupted supply of power to such places as power is essential in running machines for patients on life support and, possibly, supply of oxygen.

The Court has also asked the State to have a plan B even if power cuts are resorted to.

“It is hoped that with the regular rains in the recent times, the situation improves. However, there must be a plan B in place, which should be both rational and equitable even if power cuts are resorted to,” it said.

The State had informed that in view of the adequate rains over the last week or so the Umiam waters have risen by as much as 10 feet, thus, allowing greater power generation. The State has also been purchasing power from the National Thermal Power Corporation from or about the beginning of June, 2023. The State is also looking at purchasing power from the open grid to augment the supply available.

Meanwhile, the State has been directed to file a status report on the matter before the next hearing to be held on July 5.

By Our Reporter