HC summons NEIGRIHMS Director, Cardiology HoD

SHILLONG: The High Court of Meghalaya on Tuesday directed the Director and HoD, Cardiology of NEIGRIHMS to be “personally” present in the court on Wednesday in connection with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an advocate on Tuesday for resolution of the stalemate that has led to cancellation of surgeries in the department.
A bench of Chief Justice Md Yaqoob Mir and Justice HS Thangkhiew asked the Director of NEIGRIHMS, Dr DM Thappa, and HoD, Cardiology, Dr Animesh Mishra, to be “personally” present in the court so as to render assistance in resolving the ongoing stand-off between the Cardiology department and the NEIGRIHMS authority.
The court asked both the parties to come up with their respective responses.
The order came after the court heard a PIL application filed by advocate SP Mahanta.
K Paul, counsel for NEIGRIHMS present in the Court, submitted that there is some non-cooperation on the part of Cardiology department which has necessitated filing of the PIL application.
The PIL highlighted a matter of public concern that 34 operations scheduled from May 5 in the Cardiology department were cancelled in view of the internal differences between it and the authority of NEIGRIHMS.
It was stated that the head of the department without any justifiable cause, to his (Paul) information, is refusing to utilise surgical material made available to him under the Amrit Scheme when the same material in terms of the same scheme is being used by the Cardiology department of Guwahati Medical College and other college(s) of North East.
Surgeries denied
to 44 patients
Around 44 patients hailing from all across the North East have been denied surgeries due to the deadlock which entered the seventh day on Tuesday.
Tuesday was no different as 12 patients were posted for surgeries but none could be operated upon due to the unavailability of the required devices in the hospital pharmacy.
On one hand the administration states that OPD services are running and all devices like stents and pacemakers have been provided for surgeries to resume, while on the other hand the doctors claim that when they send the attendants to collect these from the pharmacy they return with ‘Not Available’ written on the prescription.
Patients are still coming to the institute, but get caught in the web not knowing what to do next.
Meanwhile, Health and Family Welfare Minister, AL Hek on Tuesday told reporters that he will visit the institute on Wednesday to take stock of the situation and would hold discussions with the Director and the doctors from the Cardiology department to sort out the issues and ensure that patients do not suffer.
Hek said the crisis seems to be deepening and the patients are at the receiving end and this cannot go on like this.
He further informed that he has written to Union Minister of Health JP Nadda apprising him of the prevailing situation at the institute.