Verify educational qualification of all doctors, trace fake medical practitioners: HC to Odisha govt

Cuttack: Orissa High Court has directed the Odisha government to verify the educational qualifications of all doctors and trace the fake medical practitioners today.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice S Muralidhar had expressed its displeasure over the affidavit of the State Health and Family Welfare department on December 22, 2022. The department had informed the court that it has directed the Chief District Medical Officers (CDMOs) across the State to verify the educational qualification of all doctors. However, it had not mentioned any time period to complete the verification process.

Apart from expressing its displeasure over such reports, the top court of the State asked the State government to submit a Supplementary Affidavit by February 20 clearly mentioning a particular time frame to end the verification process and find out the fake medical practitioners.

During today’s hearing, senior Advocate and Amicus Curia Goutam Mishra informed the court that several reports of fake medical practitioners treating the patients have come to the fore from Malkangiri, Rayagada, Ganjam and Mayurbhanj. The details of the doctors should be made available so that people can know about them, he said.

It is to be noted here that a World Bank report had pointed out that only 51 per cent of doctors in Odisha have required educational qualifications. Taking a serious note of the report, the Orissa High Court had ordered a probe to ascertain their qualifications in the state.