Remove SCB Urology HoD, HC Tells Govt

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court on Wednesday directed the secretary, Health and Family Welfare, to remove Dr Datteswar Hota, head of the Department of Urology of the SCB Medical College and Hospital, from his post with immediate effect.

The court issued the directive after hearing a petition filed by Amiya Shankar Bal and 11 other students of the urology department. The students had sought his removal alleging that he forced them to treat and take care of patients at his private clinic in the city and threatened to give them poor marks in the examination if they refuse to obey his order.

The court also directed the secretary to appoint a senior professor in place of Dr Hota as the head of the department of Urology within 10 days.

Besides, it also gave specific instruction to keep Dr Hota away from conducting any examination.

The next hearing in this matter has been posted after five weeks.

Meanwhile, Dr Hota has informed the court about his willingness to be relieved of his present post.

Earlier, all 450 junior doctors of the hospital had resorted to cease-work agitation on February 19 demanding his immediate removal.

Extending their support to the strike, 150 house surgeons and 160 senior resident doctors of the SCB had taken leave en masse.

Besides, the junior doctors of MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur and Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) had also staged dharna in support of the agitating SCB students.

Bowing to the demands of the agitating junior doctors, the Odisha government on February 27 had transferred Dr Hota to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur.

He, however, had managed to obtain a stay on his transfer from the Odisha Administrative Tribunal (SAT).