Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ordered the state government to act swiftly and establish Departments of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion in all government medical colleges where such departments don’t currently exist. The deadline? Six months.
Passing the order in a petition filed by Dr. Richa Gupta, Justice Sandeep Sharma said it was unacceptable for medical colleges to still operate “Blood Banks” under the Pathology departments, especially when the National Medical Commission (NMC) guidelines issued in 2021 clearly call for a separate department with dedicated faculty.
The petitioner had initially asked for promotion to the post of Assistant Professor at Dr. YSP Medical College, Nahan, but the court rejected that plea—citing a 2021 judgment (Dr. Nitika Verma vs State of HP) that emphasizes equal opportunity for promotees and direct recruits.
Still, the court took serious note of the government’s inaction, pointing out letters from the Special Secretary (Health) and the Principal of SLBS Medical College, Mandi, both admitting that necessary changes were overdue.
“The creation of the department is not just procedural—it is a regulatory requirement. Students must not be left at the mercy of bureaucratic delays,” the judge observed, adding that the government’s proposal for creating these departments must now reach finality.
The court directed the state to ensure compliance within six months and submit a status report two weeks after that period.
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