Shillong, June 14: High Court of Meghalaya has asked the state government to ensure regular power supply in hospitals.
It was made known that the Shillong Civil Hospital does not have a high tension feeder line hence it is not getting power supply.
“The state should make every endeavour to ensure that even if the need arises in future to restrict the continuous supply of power on account of any shortfall, the hospitals and like institutions are exempted from power cuts”, the court said while hearing a pending PIL filed by Flaming Marak.
As to the uninterrupted supply of electricity to hospitals and the like, the state submits that by and large hospitals have been exempted from power cuts, provided they are connected by high tension feeder lines. “It appears that even the Civil Hospital in Shillong does not have a high tension feeder line that caters to the entirety of the hospital. The state also says that North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences has been spared of power cuts.
Apart from the fact that hospitals across the state and the healthcare centres need to be improved qualitatively with better equipment, more experts and greater facilities, the most elementary thing that must be ensured is the uninterrupted supply of power to such places as power is essential in running machines for patients on life support and, possibly, supply of oxygen, the court said.
The petition in public interest has been filed to address the issue of shortage in the supply of power all over the state and what the petitioner perceives to be the arbitrary load-shedding schedule.
According to the petitioner, no rationale has been indicated in affidavit filed by the government as to why some areas suffered longer power cuts than other areas. The petitioner pointed out that even essential services, such as government hospitals, are not exempted from power cuts.
The state made a submission that in view of the adequate rain over the last week or so the Umiam waters have risen by as much as 10 feet, thus, allowing greater power generation. The state has also been purchasing power from the National Thermal Power Corporation from or about the beginning of June, 2023. The state is also looking at purchasing power from the open grid to augment the supply available.
‘Govt should have Plan B’
The court hoped that with the regular rain in the recent times, the situation improves. “However, there must be a plan B in place, which should be both rational and equitable even if power cuts are resorted to.
The state’s status report should be filed before the matter appears next a fortnight hence. A copy of such report should be made available to the petitioner at least a day in advance”, the court said.
The matter will come up on July 5.
