Photo Courtesy: nagalandpost
Kohima: The Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court has ordered the Nagaland government to ensure that every district has at least one blood bank or storage center. Justices Devashis Baruah and Yarenjungla Longkumer issued the directive while disposing of a public interest litigation, ruling that the availability of blood is a fundamental component of the right to life guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution.
Petitioners Rangro Herie and Kikrukhonuo Pfukha initiated the case to highlight the critical shortage of transfusion infrastructure and trained specialists in remote regions, particularly in eastern Nagaland. The court emphasized that the state's challenging geography and connectivity issues make decentralized, district-level blood services essential to prevent preventable deaths during medical emergencies.
Currently, Nagaland operates six licensed blood banks and a series of storage centers across various districts, though only two locations currently possess blood component separation units. In response to the court proceedings, the state Department of Health and Family Welfare presented a roadmap to address these infrastructure gaps.
This plan includes establishing storage units at all district hospitals and first referral units. To staff these facilities, the government intends to deploy specialists in pathology and transfusion medicine. In regions where specialists are unavailable, the state will assign MBBS doctors with relevant experience to ensure the consistent delivery of life-saving care.
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