CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction with an affidavit filed by the state government in pursuance to orders issued by it earlier while hearing a PIL filed by Odisha State Legal Services Authority on the menace of fake doctors.
The division bench of Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Justice MS Raman said, “It is unfortunate that the affidavit does not address at all the issues as regards surveillance mechanism taken note of in the court’s order on June 22, 2023.”
The bench directed the commissioner-cum-secretary of Health & Family Welfare department to file an affidavit on surveillance mechanism to identify fake doctors within two weeks and fixed March 27 for further consideration of non-compliance of the order.
In the June 22, 2023 order, the court had directed the state government to file an affidavit indicating whether any surveillance mechanism to identify the fake doctors, is operational in the state. If not, whether the state government is contemplating to introduce surveillance to curb the menace of fake doctors and what further action it proposes to take against establishments either run by the fake doctors or collaborated by them.
On Tuesday, in pursuance to the court’s order, president of Odisha Council for Medical Registration (OCMR) Bijay Kumar Mohapatra appeared in person and assured he will put forth definite suggestions to meet the challenges of menace of fake allopathic doctors after consulting the National Medical Commission and commissioner-cum-secretary of Health & Family Welfare department.
However, the bench said, “We expect that while putting up the suggestions to the court, the president of OCMR may also consider the mode of identification of genuine doctors in a manner that even an illiterate person living in can remote area can identify them and distinguish between a genuine doctor and fake doctor.”