Bhubaneshwar : A bench comprising Chief Justice Dr S. Muralidhar and Justice S.K. Panigrahi of the Odisha High Court expressed concern on a report of the World Bank which stated that 51% of the medical practitioners in Odisha did not possess valid qualifications and the bench ordered a survey in this regard. The Court has directed the Additional Chief Secretary of the Health & Family Welfare Department to come up with a comprehensive plan under which a survey will be undertaken to ascertain that every allopathic doctor practising in Odisha possesses the proper and relevant qualification. “Such a survey should be undertaken in a time bound manner and be concluded preferably within a period of six months,” the Court added. The bench was adjudicating over a writ petition filed by the Odisha State Legal Aid Services Authority (OSLASA).
The Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department has to submit an affidavit in the Court at least one week prior to the next date, setting out the modalities of verification, the time period within which the verification will be concluded and the consequential action if it is found that a person was practising without due qualification. The Court stated that the steps be taken in co-ordination with the Medical Council of India. The case has been listed on January 27, 2023