Andhra Pradesh HC directs Govt to fast-track bone marrow transplant facilities
Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh High Court has directed the state government to speed up the process of setting up bone marrow transplantation facilities at government hospitals and medical colleges and provide a clear timeline for starting the services.
The direction was issued during the hearing of a public interest litigation seeking access to bone marrow transplantation in government healthcare institutions across the state. The petition highlighted the need to make specialised treatment available through the public healthcare system.
The state government informed the court that steps were underway to introduce bone marrow transplantation at King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam and government hospitals in Guntur and Kurnool.
The Director of Medical Education has already forwarded proposals covering the infrastructure and other requirements needed to establish the facilities. The proposals are pending with the finance department for budget approval, she said, after which the govt would be in a position to indicate when the facilities could become operational, TOI reported.
The government further informed the court that it would be able to provide a definite timeline for starting the services once the required financial approval is received.
The High Court, however, asked the government not to delay the process and directed it to expedite the necessary steps. It also asked the state to come prepared with a clear timeframe for making the facilities operational at the next hearing.
The PIL was filed by a petitioner appearing in person, seeking directions to the state government to make bone marrow transplantation available at government hospitals and medical colleges and to set a specific deadline for introducing the services.
The directions were issued by a bench comprising Chief Justice Lisa Gill and Justice Challa Gunaranjan after taking note of the government's submissions on the proposed facilities.
