Meghalaya HC directs govt to chalk out preliminary plan for oncology facility in state

SHILLONG:

The Meghalaya High Court, on November 29, asked the state government to chalk out its plan for setting up a super-specialty cancer clinic in the state.

Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL), filed by Lurshaphrang Shongwan concerning the lack of a cancer treatment centre in the state, The division bench, comprising of the Chief Justice, Sanjib Banerjee and Justice, W Diengdoh, said that an oncology centre is necessary for the people of Meghalaya.

“The state should look into the matter for a preliminary plan of action in this regard,” they said.

The PIL was submitted on behalf of the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), which proposed for a full-fledged Oncology unit at the institute.

The bench, in its order, has further directed the state government and the NEIGRIHMS to provide details regarding the facilities that would be available immediately, or within the next two to three months.

The order stated, “They should indicate details on the number of patients, suffering from cancer in the state, including the number of beds and the size of the outpatient block. These details are needed, should a super-specialty cancer clinic come up in Meghalaya.”

In response, the state has accepted the lack of a cancer treatment centre, reiterating that an oncology wing is nearing completion in Civil Hospital, Shillong.

The next hearing on this has been fixed on December 13.

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