CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed the state government to expedite the appointment and posting of assistant professors recommended by the OPSC to address the acute shortage of doctors at the SCB medical college and hospital in Cuttack.
A division bench comprising Justice SK Sahoo and Justice V Narasingh,was hearing the matter on August 21. The letter of special secretary in Health department Usharani Sahoo, addressed to the advocate general revealed that OPSC had recommended recruitment of 89 assistant professors in 22 broad specialty disciplines under advertisement of 2023-24, based on a requisition for 102 posts across 23 specialities. In the super specialty category, seven assistant professors have been recommended under advertisement of 2022-23, against a requisition of nine posts in eight disciplines.
The court was informed that 12 of the 89 selected assistant professors have already been appointed in seven disciplines via notification dated June 6, 2025. The remaining appointments will be made following the due process of counselling and government approval. An earlier affidavit dated August 12 stated that 87 key teaching positions were vacant at the institution.
The bench said, “This court expects that the appointment and posting of the remaining candidates recommended by OPSC shall be expedited by the government, so that the problems faced in the hospital due to vacancies in the posts as reflected in the affidavit of superintendent SCBMCH can be sorted out.”