Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has directed the state Health and Family Welfare department to take strict measures against doctors of SCB Medical College and Hospital (MCH) in Cuttack, allegedly skipping hospital duties to attend private clinics.
To ensure accountability in patient care, the court has asked the department to form an additional inspection team. “This team, comprising officials not below the rank of deputy secretary, will conduct surprise inspections and submit periodical sealed reports to the court for review,“ the bench, comprising Justices SK Sahoo and V Narasingh, said on Thursday.
The HC took on record an affidavit filed by SCBMCH superintendent Prof Goutam Kumar Satpathy, who appeared virtually and outlined measures being implemented to ensure discipline and accountability at the state’s premier medical institution.
The affidavit further revealed that 87 faculty positions, including 15 professors, 33 associate professors, 16 assistant professors, and 23 senior residents/tutors, are currently vacant.
Duty hours for OPD doctors are set from 9 am to 5 pm, with a one-hour lunch break, while emergency services and Regional Diagnostic Centre are operational round-the-clock under the supervision of departments of pathology, biochemistry, and radiology. In-patient duties are managed through daily ward rounds, including on public holidays.
The court will continue monitoring the issue, with the next compliance report due for review on September 18.
