Morung Express News
Dimapur | September 18
The Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court on September 15, issued notices to the Nagaland Government and five others while admitting a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking implementation of the National Blood Policy and the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in the Peren, Longleng, Kiphire, and Noklak districts of Nagaland.
A Bench comprising of Justice Songkhupchung Serto and Justice S Hukato Swu issued the notices and posted the matter for further hearing after 4 weeks (October 18, 2021).
The other respondents in the PIL included the State of Nagaland represented by the Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare; the State Mission Director, State Health Society, National Rural Health Mission; the Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS); Nagaland State Blood Transfusion Centre; National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC), and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The PIL filed by Rangro Herie and Kikrukhonuo Pfukha sought implementation of National Blood Policy which aims to ensure adequate resources to develop and reorganise blood transfusion services in the entire country.
The Policy, which was published by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India in 2017, also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensure accessible and adequate supply of safe and quality blood, blood components and blood products and make available the latest technology for operating blood transfusion services.
Among others, the Policy aims to launch extensive awareness programmes for donor information, education, motivation, recruitment and retention in order to ensure adequate availability of safe blood and encourage appropriate clinical use of blood and blood products.
The Policy is also aimed at strengthening workforce through human resource development and taking adequate regulatory and legislative steps for monitoring and evaluation of blood transfusion services and to take steps to eliminate profiteering in blood banks.
As per the website maintained by the NSACS, Nagaland has eight Blood Banks—1 Model Blood Bank with BCSU in Dimapur, 1 Major Blood Bank in Kohima, 6 district blood banks in Mokokchung, Tuensang, Phek, Mon, Zunheboto and Wokha, and 3 Regional Blood Transfusion Centers, namely Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung, along with 2 Blood Transportation Vans in Dimapur and Kohima.
