CUTTACK: The merger of SCB Medical College and Hospital’s (SCBMCH) paediatric ward with the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatric Studies (known as Sishu Bhawan) planned by the State government a decade ago is again back in focus.
The Orissa High Court on Monday directed the State government to file an affidavit on the present status of the merger. The court considered the PILs seeking intervention against the State government’s decision to shift the paediatric unit of SCBMCH to Sishu Bhawan in 2012.
The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice Chittaranjan Dash issued direction after noticing that the court had issued a stay order on the merger on July 18, 2012 and no substantive proceedings had since taken place.
The court had taken up the hearing a petition filed by a lawyer Kanhayalal Sharma, an intervention petition filed by post graduate students of SCBMCH and another PIL by SCBMCH Students’ Union. Sharma appeared in person and contended that the facilities available at Sishu Bhawan are inadequate.
Taking note of it, the bench directed Sharma to visit both SCBMCH and Sishu Bhawan and file an affidavit by December 6, the next date fixed for the matter.
The petitions centred round the contention that the merger decision was not only against the interest of public at large, but also against the interest of students. It would be highly detrimental for the life and health of the children coming for treatment to the hospital.
It will “seriously hamper” the studies of the medical students who will have to travel 8 km for their clinical classes, ward duty, semester and annual examination, the petitions contended. The State government’s contention was that Sishu Bhawan is the paediatric unit of SCBMCH which is situated within the Medical Council of India (MCI) approved distance of 10 km. For administrative and academic convenience and to avoid duplicity of efforts it has been decided to provide paediatric care only at Sishu Bhawan.