Sri Vijaya Puram, Aug 02: The State Youth President of Hindu Rashtra Shakti, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Mr. Angshuman Roy, has submitted a detailed representation to the Member of Parliament, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, urging immediate parliamentary intervention over what the organisation described as a serious healthcare crisis in the Union Territory. The memorandum seeks enforcement of constitutional obligations, statutory compliance and systemic reforms in the healthcare sector.
In the representation, Mr. Roy stated that the issue concerns the fundamental right to life of every resident of the Islands and highlighted the unique challenges faced by the Union Territory due to its geographical isolation. He said the organisation, which works on issues relating to healthcare, social welfare, infrastructure and public interest, was compelled to raise the matter in view of the concerns affecting islanders.
Referring to a letter reportedly received through a social media platform, the memorandum claimed that doctors had raised serious concerns regarding the clinical efficacy and quality of Noradrenaline infusion supplied for critically ill patients and had sought quality assurance testing and verification of cold-chain maintenance. It further alleged a chronic shortage of essential emergency medicines required for the treatment of cardiac arrests, cerebrovascular accidents, seizures and shock, stating that such shortages had adversely affected patient care and posed a threat to lives.
The representation stated that GB Pant Hospital, being the only tertiary referral hospital in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has a special responsibility as patients often have no immediate alternative in emergencies. It noted that transferring critically ill patients to mainland hospitals is costly, time-consuming and, in many cases, medically impractical. According to the memorandum, any lapse in procurement, storage, quality monitoring or availability of life-saving medicines places the lives of islanders at serious risk and warrants urgent institutional reforms.
Mr. Roy also expressed concern over what he described as the absence of regular inspections by senior officers of the Administration to assess the hospital’s infrastructure, sanitation, cleanliness of wards and the quality of food provided to in-patients. He alleged that the lack of top-level administrative oversight had adversely affected patient welfare and called for greater accountability.
The memorandum referred to the Supreme Court judgment in Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity vs State of West Bengal (1996), stating that timely emergency medical treatment is part of the fundamental right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. It further cited provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, contending that the quality and storage of medicines supplied to government hospitals must strictly comply with statutory standards.
Seeking parliamentary intervention, the organisation requested the Member of Parliament to raise the issue in Parliament and pursue a series of measures with the Government of India. These include a time-bound high-level inquiry into procurement procedures, storage conditions, quality assurance mechanisms and recurring shortages of life-saving medicines. The memorandum also sought investigation into allegations of administrative negligence and requested ex-gratia compensation for families if any preventable deaths are found to have occurred due to the non-availability of essential medicines.
Among its other demands, the organisation called for the establishment of a permanent healthcare monitoring and audit committee under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, regular surprise inspections of government hospitals, introduction of a transparent digital monitoring system for essential medicines, mandatory third-party laboratory testing of critical drugs, and strict accountability for officials responsible for negligence in procurement and hospital administration.
The representation also urged the Government to formulate a special healthcare strengthening package for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, focusing on emergency care, critical care facilities, specialist manpower, procurement systems, logistics and patient referral mechanisms in view of the Islands’ geographical constraints.
Concluding the memorandum, Mr. Roy appealed to the Member of Parliament to take up the matter with the Government of India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Home Affairs, stating that healthcare is a constitutional obligation and that every islander deserves timely, accessible and quality medical care. He expressed hope that parliamentary intervention would lead to transparent, accountable and efficient healthcare services in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
