Cuttack: The Orissa High Court Thursday set a fresh deadline for the state government to submit the status report on doctors’ vacancies in the three medical colleges and hospitals and all district headquarters hospitals while hearing a contempt of court case in this regard.
A bench of Chief Justice Vineet Saran and Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi has directed the state government to inform the court about the current status of doctors’ vacancies in the state within four weeks.
The court direction came in response to a petition filed by advocate Dilip Kumar Mohapatra, who, in his petition had stated that quality and free healthcare service should reach all in a welfare state. However, no one is bothered about it. As deadly diseases like swine flu, dengue, chikungunya and jaundice are rearing ugly heads in the state, the vacant doctors’ posts should be filled up immediately, the petitioner had said.
Taking up the petition for hearing, the HC had directed the state government to submit an affidavit in this regard. Meanwhile, Mohapatra had filed a miscellaneous petition stating that while 75 per cent of the population in the state depends on government-run hospitals, it is very disappointing that no step is being taken by the government to fill up the doctors’ vacancies. Due to the doctors’ shortage, adequate and quality healthcare is not reaching the people.
The HC in its June 27, 2011 ruling had directed the state government to fill up all the doctors’ posts within six weeks. Besides, the state was asked to develop the infrastructure of hospitals and supply adequate medical equipment.
Subsequently, then health secretary PK Mohapatra had submitted an affidavit in the HC in which he had mentioned that all measures were taken for infrastructure development of hospitals and filling up of doctors’ posts.
However, the petitioner had filed a contempt of court case alleging that neither the infrastructure of the hospitals was developed nor the vacant posts of doctors were filled. The state government is yet to implement the order of the HC even after six years, the petitioner had alleged.
PNN