CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed the State government to file a reply to the reports submitted by district legal services authorities (DLSAs) after visiting the district headquarter hospitals (DHHs), community health centres (CHCs) and PHCs.While seeking reply the division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice BP Routray fixed May 21, a holiday for elaborate hearing on the analysis of the reports.
The court was hearing a PIL filed by Chittaranjan Mohanty, a lawyer and social activist on quality of healthcare facilities in the State in 2018. The court had earlier ordered an on-the-spot inquiry by the DLSAs on the healthcare facilities in their respective districts.The court had asked Mohanty who argued his case in person “not to divulge the contents of these reports and the video clips to anyone including the media or any third party till further orders from the Court”.
The secretaries of the DLSAs were asked to report on condition of the medical facilities in terms of cleanliness, sanitation, toilet facilities, power and infrastructure, adequacy of stocks of drugs and medicines, equipment; availability of ambulance, accessibility - connectivity by road, availability of public transport to reach the facility and ability to deal with emergencies.
The DLSAs were also asked to find out whether all the medical staff including doctors, nurses, ward staff, who are assigned to that facility are in attendance. On May 21, the court will also hear along with the reports from the DLSAs the issue of doctors attached to DHHs, CHCs and PHCs carrying on their private practice without attending to their duties in the government facilities. According to the prevailing order, the government had allowed private practice with some conditions.