CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed that all necessary steps be taken to ensure early installation of a Slice CT Scan machine at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics (SVPPGIP) here, better known as Sishu Bhawan.
The division bench comprising Justice SK Sahoo and Justice V Narasingh issued the order on Thursday after perusing affidavits and government instructions regarding the status of the installation procured for SCBMCH.
The bench noted that when the matter was taken up on September 18, superintendent of SCBMCH Prof Goutam Kumar Satpathy had filed an affidavit stating that the Slice CT Scan machine, which is ready for delivery, was actually intended for the SCB redevelopment site and the machine shall be installed based on on-site readiness after completion of the redevelopment.
Similarly, Poma Tudu, managing director of Odisha State Medical Corporation Ltd. (OSMCL) had submitted a similar affidavit indicating that the machine would be supplied based on on-site readiness after completion of the redevelopment programme.
Taking into account the machine’s cost of around Rs 12 crore, its unused status and the fact that patients from Sishu Bhawan are referred to SCBMCH due to non-availability of Slice CT Scan machine in Sishu Bhawan, the court had explored the possibility of installing it at the paediatric hospital. Prof Pravakar Mishra, superintendent of SVPPGIP, had informed that space would not be a constraint and that the machine could cater to paediatric needs. During the hearing, the state counsel produced written instructions dated October 23, from the deputy secretary, Health & Family Welfare department, stating that a meeting chaired by the commissioner-cum-secretary had found that SVPPGIP lacks site readiness for installation of the machine. The superintendent has been directed to take immediate steps to ensure that the site is made ready.
The court, however, noted the clarification that the site work will be expedited and is likely to be completed within a period of four months.
The bench expected that all the stakeholders would take proactive steps to ensure that the machine is installed at the earliest. Listing the matter for February 12, the bench said it would monitor progress in the next hearing.
