The Gauhati High Court has directed the Nagaland Government to make at least 2 (two) testing labs of COVID-19 functional within 10 (ten) days and make every effort to establish other labs at strategic places in the State to facilitate free testing shortly.
The Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench, comprising Justice Songkhupchung Serto and Justice S. Hukato Swu was hearing a PIL file by Kikrukhonuo seeking certain directions for the government regarding the steps already taken and which are yet to be taken for the containment of a pandemic outbreak of COVID-19.
After hearing the counsel appearing for the petitioner and the Additional Senior Government counsel that court while issuing notice to the state, gave the following directions:
- Make 2 testing labs of COVID-19 functional within 10 days from today and make every effort to establish other labs at strategic places in the State to facilitate free testing shortly.
- Provide a 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 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 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 2 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 2 weeks.
The Court has also directed the respondent to file their responses regarding the other issues raised in the petition and has also directed the state to file an affidavit showing their level of preparedness and a statement showing the materials already supplied for the personnel in the line of duty.
-India Legal Bureau