Health Deptt submits details on available infrastructure to High Court

GANGTOK, 23 Nov: Three months after a public interest litigation was filed in the High Court of Sikkim on the state of health services in Sikkim, the Health Department has managed to compile its report on all health related infrastructure and drugs available for submission to the Court. An affidavit has been submitted by the Additional Advocate General, JB Pradhan, informing the court on the health related infrastructure in the state.
The infrastructure relates to the primary health centres and the sub centres in the four districts. A list of life saving drugs was also forwarded to the court, which, as per the state Health Department, are available in the hospitals and primary health centres.  The division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice P Kohli and Justice SP Wangdi further directed the Additional AG to submit an affidavit on the availability of life saving drugs.
The court had initially, in August, allowed a period of 6 weeks for the submission of the report. When the PIL came up for hearing on 05 October, the report was not still ready and additional time had been sought.
The court had directed the State respondents to furnish details of the facilities available at the district and sub divisional hospitals, the primary health centres including dispensaries with details of the number of such centres. Furthermore, the High Court had directed that the state furnish details on the availability of life saving drugs with their name/ brand and quantity along with expiry dates.
Several deficiencies in the delivery of health services in the state especially in the implementation of the health schemes such as National Rural Health Mission, the Janani Suraksha Yojana have been alleged in the petition along with the allegation of non availability of essential drugs in most government hospitals and health centres in the districts.