Virology labs: Relief for govt. as High Court extends deadline

Our Correspondent
Kohima, May 8 (EMN): The Nagaland government and department of Health and Family Welfare have on Friday moved the High Court (HC), Kohima Bench, seeking an extension of the May 8 deadline to make the BSL labs functional.

On April 28, the court had directed the state government to make at least two testing labs of the novel coronavirus functional within 10 days. However, on the last day of the deadline, the department concerned appealed to the court through interlocutory application (IA), to grant them more time citing difficulties.

Therefore, the HC has granted an extension of time and directed to make all efforts “to make the testing unit at Kohima functional within five days from today (May 8) and within two weeks, the unit at Dimapur”.

It added that at the end of two weeks, the respondents should file an affidavit of compliance but if the units have not been made functional by then, they should appear in person and explain.

The petitioner’s advocate Neiteo Koza, while speaking to Eastern Mirror, informed that the government has appealed to the court on Friday to grant them more time citing that it is not possible to finish until the end of the month.

Therefore, at their (department/state government) appeal, the court has agreed to extend five more days for BSL-3 in Kohima and two weeks for BSL-2 in Dimapur, both of which should be functional by then.

The court has specifically given two time frames—five days and two weeks, and if the government does not reply within the stipulated time, ‘they will be made to appear in person and explain’, Koza added. Meanwhile, the department has agreed to make the laboratories functional within the time frames.

“They have given their word,” she said.

The department had appealed the court for extension till this month, but the court rejected it. “The court is well aware of the plight of the people and we cannot afford to lose more time,” the advocate pointed out.

“We appreciate the steps taken by all concerned but we are anxious of how things have taken so long, especially when all the other states in Northeast have already established such labs sometime ago. Therefore, this court is constrained to express the concerns and anxiety of the people of the state,” the HC stated.

The state of Nagaland next to Assam is the oldest state in Northeast, therefore, one expects that it should also be leading in many ways rather than lagging behind the other states in the Northeast, it said.

“The fact that the whole world is concerned and worried should have made our steps faster and let us even burn our midnight oil to face the challenge of Covid-19. The people in the state have been alert and worried. We are sure that the government of the day must have felt the fear and concern of the people,” the order added.

Respondent advocate TB Jamir, on April 1, had submitted that “the government of India issued an order for establishing 126 numbers of labs for facilitating Covid-19 testing all over the country, including two in the state of Nagaland and in pursuance thereof, necessary actions were taken and on April 16, the required equipments were airlifted to the state but the last of such equipments arrived in the state on May 6 only”.

“But in the meanwhile, the personnel who would be handling the labs have been trained, and for the unit at Kohima, last finishing touch was given on May 7, and if everything goes well, it would be functional within five days. However, as for the unit to be established at Dimapur, since the same technicians who were involved in setting up the unit at Kohima are going to set up the unit, at least two weeks’ time would be required to make the same functional,” the order stated.

Regarding the other directives, the respondents were ordered to file an affidavit on or before the end of two weeks already granted. Further, it directed to list this matter again after two weeks.

The case is in regard to a Public Interest Litigation (Case No.: PIL 2/2020) filed by Kikrukhonuo, resident of Midland colony, Kohima versus the state government and three others—chief secretary; principal secretary, Health and Family Welfare; principal director, directorate of Health and Family Welfare; and Union of India represented by the secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (none has appeared on behalf of the respondent 4).

Construction of lab in Kohima completed

Our Reporter
Dimapur, May 8 (EMN): Construction works on virology laboratory (BSL-3) at Naga Hospital Authority, Kohima (NHAK) is completed.

News of the completion was confirmed to Eastern Mirror by the secretary for Health and Family Welfare, Kesonyu Yhome on Friday.

Yhome said that the construction of the lab in Kohima was completed, and equipment have been taken inside and placed in order accordingly.

“After this, the documentation will be sent to the Indian Council for Medical Research for formal approval,” Yhome said.

He further informed that ‘preliminary works’ for BSL-2 lab at Christian Institute of Health Science and Research in Dimapur has started.