Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench tells Nagaland government to ramp up COVID-testing facilities

The Bench asked the State to explore possibilities of involving village councils/churches and other civil society organisations and authorities concerned to set up such facilities.

The Gauhati High Court (GHC) Kohima Bench has asked the Nagaland government to take up measures of designating isolation centres, ramp-up testing facilities, make all tests free and take vaccination on a war footing. Justice Songkhupchung Serto and Justice S. Hukato Swu of GHC Kohima Bench issued the suo moto directive on May 24 after hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and asked the State government to comply with its directives while listing the matter for hearing in two weeks time. The High Court noted that when the pandemic struck Nagaland last year, the State government set up quarantine centres for isolation of those who were found to be positive while in the villages, the villagers on their own had also set up such centres but this time, there is the absence of these facilities.