Gauhati High Court Directs Nagaland Govt To Inform On Availability of Blood Banks, Blood Storage Units In All 17 Districts

The Kohima bench of the Gauhati High Court recently directed the Nagaland Government to apprise about the status of existence or the availability of Blood Banks as well as Blood Storage Units in all the 17 districts of the State.

In doing so the court observed that the issue was of substantial importance to the citizens particularly to those residing in rural areas and not having access to adequate medical and health necessities including blood banks.

The said direction was passed by a division bench of Justice Soumitra Saikia and Justice Kaushik Goswami in a PIL petition praying for implementation of the National Blood Policy and the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the districts of Peren, Longleng, Kiphire and Noklak of Nagaland.

In an affidavit filed by the Mission Director, National Health Mission, pursuant to an earlier of the Court, it was stated that the work-orders have been issued to the vendor and the various machineries required for installation of the Blood Banks have been in supply. It was further stated in the affidavit that the machineries have been received and the Demonstration Report as well as the Installation Report is enclosed to show that the machineries installed in those districts are working as per required standard.

One of the prayers made in the PIL was issue orders and directions to the respondents to improve hospital infrastructures in the District Hospitals of Peren, Kiphire, Longleng and Noklak for storing blood. The court thereafter said,

“Since this is a Public Interest Litigation filed and the issue raised is of substantial importance to the citizens, more particularly, those residing in rural areas and not having access to adequate and sufficient medical and health necessities by way of hospitals and other ancillary facilities offered in those hospitals including access to Blood Banks and Blood Storage Units, this Court is of the view that direction be issued to respondent nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 to file a detailed affidavit and place before the Court the status of existence or the availability of Blood Banks as well as Blood Storage Units in all the 17 districts of the State of Nagaland. Depending on the materials which are placed before the Court by way of an affidavit as directed, further orders as deemed necessary may be passed by the Court".

The Court granted four weeks time to file the detailed affidavit and apprise the Court accordingly.

Case Title: Rangro Herie and Anr v. The State of Nagaland and 5 Ors.

Case No.: PIL/12/2021

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