Meghalaya High Court– Taking suo motu cognizance of the letter submitted by four practicing advocates in the State of Meghalaya highlighting the deficiencies in health service in the State, including the super-specialty, North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGHRIMS), the Court issued notices to 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, Government of Meghalaya asking as to why proper order should not be passed against them and also made them respondents in the present case. The Court also appointed senior counsels T.T. Diengdoh and A. Sinha as amicus curiae for the case.
After perusal of the letter which stated that most of the departments in NEIGHRIMS do not have any super specialists and in many cases patients have to be referred for treatment outside the State, even patients who do not have the resources are left at the mercy of whatever treatment is available in the so called premier institute, S.R Sen C.J.(Acting), showed concern that the state of affairs needs to be addressed with utmost priority because medicines are not available, doctors are also not available sometimes, equipments are lying unutilized and becoming junk. The Court further highlighted that similar conditions exist in civil hospitals, CHCs/PHCs and are infringing the rights of citizens of the country and state of Meghalaya. The matter is listed for further hearings [Suo Motu, 2016 SCC OnLine Megh 7, decided on 02.02.2016]
