Gauhati HC Directs Government Of Nagaland To Set Up At Least Two Testing Labs Of COVID-19 In The State [Read Order]

The direction was made by a bench of Justice Songkhupchung Serto and Justice S Hukato Swu in a PIL filed by Kikrukhonuo, a resident of Kohima.

The court has also asked the Government to file an affidavit showing their level of preparedness and a statement showing the materials already supplied for the personnel who are on the line of duty amid the pandemic.

The Petitioner had highlighted that there were no COVID-19 testing labs in the state and samples were sent to Assam and Manipur, causing unwarranted delay in the testing process.

While issuing notice on the petition, the court directed the State Government to:

• make at least two testing labs of COVID-19 functional within ten days from today and make every effort to establish other labs at strategic places in the State to facilitate free testing in the near future;
• provide sufficient number of PPEs which are of the standard quality prescribed by the appropriate authority to all persons who are involved in the treatment of COVID-19 patients and in the looking after of persons in quarantine centers;
• make all efforts to make ICU facilities at all places identified for treatment of COVID-19 infected persons and also increase the number of ventilators so as to facilitate treatment in times of need;
• make ambulance available to the patients of COVID-19, at the earliest, if not already made available and to also make available transportation facilities to all persons who are in the line of duty, in view of the constraints and restraints imposed both by the Government and the public;
• see to it that under no circumstance or circumstances there should be any shortage of trained personnel for treatment of the COVID-19 patients and those who are quarantined;
• gear up and make sure that the two main hospitals which have been identified for treatment of COVID-19 patients i.e. one at Kohima and one at Dimapur are fully equipped and ready for functioning to meet the challenge or challenges posed by the COVID-19 within a period of two weeks.

The court has also asked the state government to file its reply in the matter, addressing all the concerns raised by the Petitioner regarding actions taken by it to deal with the impending Covid-19 pandemic.

"Regarding the other concerns raised by the petitioner in the writ petition, the respondents are to look into them and come with their response through an affidavit on the returnable date. We also direct the State respondents to file their affidavit showing their level of preparedness and also a statement showing the materials already supplied for the personnel who are on the line of duty," the court ordered.

Case Details:

Case Title: Kikrukhonuo v. State of Nagaland & Ors.

Case No.: PIL No. 2/2020

Quorum: Justice Songkhupchung Serto and Justice S Hukato Swu

Appearance: Advocate Neiteo Koza (for Petitioner); Addl. Senior Government Advocate V. Suokhrie

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