CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed the government to ensure every allopathic doctor practising in the state possesses valid qualification.The court issued the direction while hearing a petition filed by Odisha State Legal Services Authority (OSLSA) regarding appointment of doctors who do not even have a MBBS degree.
In pursuance of a previous order, the Health and Family Welfare department had filed an affidavit stating only one case of a doctor appointed without proper degree certificate was detected in the state and in that case the disciplinary enquiry had not concluded yet.
After perusing the affidavit, the division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice SK Panigrahi directed the government to conclude the enquiry within a period of three months from December 23 and place a copy of the report and the action taken report before it along with an affidavit before the next date (January 27).
The bench directed the additional chief secretary Health to file an affidavit by January 27 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 directed the state government to take the steps in coordination with the Medical Council of India.