Meghalaya HC pulls Govt over lack of facilities for cancer treatment

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 16, 2022

The Meghalaya High Court on Wednesday pulled the state government over the complete lack of facilities in the state to treat cancer.

Hearing a PIL on the matter, the Division Bench said though a token unit has now been set up at the Civil Hospital in Shillong with a limited number of beds and the same is scheduled to be inaugurated in the next month, there does not appear to be any adequate equipment to deal with the deadly malaise.

With the incidence of oral cancer in the State is about the highest in the country, particularly in the western areas where betel-nut chewing is common and rampant, the court said it is doubtful that a screening mechanism put in place by the State will be a remedy. At any rate, even if this screening mechanism leads to early detection of cancer, the State has no amenities to offer to the citizen after detection of cancer.

Stating that the state is expected to have tie-ups – pertaining to different geographical regions – with the nearest cancer facilities outside the State, it however said, “But there is no thinking on such lines.”

The court said there has been no attempt on the part of the government to invite private operators to open cancer hospitals in the state.

“It may even be possible to indicate one or two plots of land that would be accessible to most in the State where private operators may be invited to open cancer hospitals on such conditions that would be feasible to both the State and the private parties. Again, there is no attempt on the part of the State to address the issue.”

Referring to the submission made that the state is taking measures to educate the residents in order to arrest the bad habit of chewing betel nuts as ‘childish’, the court said, “Even if an aggressive campaign in such regard were in place, experience in other areas as in tobacco would reveal that decades and centuries of attempts yield very little result. At the end of the day, awareness programmes or screening mechanisms are no substitute for actual facilities being put in place.”

Further, the court said unfortunately, the State has been singularly lacking in indicating any step in the right direction in such regard adding “It is possible that the long gestation gap between mooting the setting up of speciality hospitals and the same being operational would outlive the normal tenure of any assembly.”

Also stating that it does not appear that any attempt has been made by the State to seek the Union’s assistance in such regard, it said that there are centrally-run cancer research institutes and a bit of enterprise and effort may result in central units being set up locally to address the issue. There is no doubt that adequate healthcare facilities cost money.

“It is also not in doubt that the State’s revenue at the moment may not permit an ambitious outlay for healthcare. But there is a minimum expectation that the citizens have from the State and basic healthcare cannot be neglected on the ground of lack of funds or resources,” it observed.

The Court said that it can only make an appeal to the State but, ultimately, it is for the administration to do the needful.

“It must, however, be noted with regret that despite the Court’s prodding over the last six years, there has been no commensurate or perceptible improvement in the basic healthcare facilities in the State,” it said.

It was submitted on behalf of the Amicus Curiae that an adequate number of personnel have not been deployed in the primary health centres, not to speak of the so-called larger health centres.

One of the aspects pointed out on behalf of persons appearing to ensure augmentation of facilities is the lack of oxygen in even Civil Hospitals across the State.

It was also submitted that even in the few places where there are dedicated neonatal units, there may not be any oxygen connection to such units for the most basic care to be administered to new-born babies.

The next hearing on the matter will be held on February 6.

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