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Time of India
5 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
HC directs state govt to take steps to resume liver transplants in SCB
Cuttack: Orissa high court has directed the state govt to take urgent steps to resume liver transplant surgeries at SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH), Cuttack. The surgeries have been halted since April following the expiry of an MoU with a Hyderabad-based institute. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In an order on July 31, the division bench comprising Justices S K Sahoo and V Narasingh said liver transplants are "crucial and cannot be deferred indefinitely". It directed the govt to provide a timeline for approval of a new partnership and resumption of transplants. The court was hearing a matter related to the discontinuation of transplants at SCB. Additional director of medical education and training and nodal officer for organ transplant, Dr Umakant Satapathy, informed the court via video link that a proposal for an MoU with MGM Healthcare, Chennai, for 30 liver transplants is pending with the govt. Taking note of the submission, the court asked the state to explore continuing the earlier arrangement with the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (AIG), Hyderabad, to avoid any disruption in patient care. The bench directed the govt to file an affidavit by Tuesday, detailing how many patients are currently awaiting liver transplants, how many applications have been disposed of in the past three months, and minutes of SCB's authorisation committee meetings over the past six months. The next hearing is scheduled for Aug 7. On July 18, the HC had taken suo motu cognisance of a report published in a vernacular daily stating that liver transplants at SCB had come to a halt after the agreement with AIG expired on April 1. State govt had signed the MoU in 2022 to operationalise a liver transplant unit, which was officially launched in 2023 with Rs 22 crore sanctioned for infrastructure and logistics. Only two transplants have been conducted under the programme so far — the first on April 3, 2024, and the second on Sept 9, 2024. The initiative was designed to offer the high-cost procedure free of charge to eligible patients. With SCB lacking a fully trained in-house transplant team, the continuation of the programme remains uncertain unless a new partnership is secured soon.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
HC seeks fresh report on condition of SCB's central kitchen
1 2 Cuttack: Orissa high court has asked the advocates' committee of the High Court Bar Association to revisit the central kitchen of SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack and submit a fresh report, following allegations of preparation of food under unhygienic conditions for patients. The court was hearing the matter based on a report submitted by the committee on Thursday. The report, based on an inspection on June 30, highlighted serious health concerns, including non-functional roti-making machines and unsanitary conditions posing risk to patient health. The court was shown video footage that revealed lapses like kitchen staff collecting rotis without gloves, many without head and mouth covers, and personnel wearing shoes being allowed inside the kitchen area. Taking on record an affidavit filed by the SCB superintendent, the division bench comprising Justices S K Sahoo and V Narasingh asked the committee to submit a fresh report. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on Sept 11. In his affidavit filed on July 29, SCB superintendent Dr Goutam Kumar Satapathy stated that the hospital has 2,772 functional beds. However, a surplus number of patients are being admitted and accommodated beside the beds and are being provided with medical services and food. Indoor patients are being provided with cooked and dry diet thrice a day as per the requirement received from different wards and departments. Satapathy acknowledged the issues raised in the report and stated that food services had been outsourced to a Berhampur-based agency in line with National Health Mission (NHM) guidelines. The agency has been given space, power, and water to operate on the hospital premises. He informed the court that mechanical roti preparation had resumed on July 21 using new machines with conveyor belt roasting. Civil and electrical renovation work in the kitchen, undertaken by the roads and buildings department, is expected to be completed by the end of Aug. Rodent control measures will follow. A meeting of the hospital's diet vigilance committee was held on July 4, where steps to improve kitchen hygiene and efficiency were discussed. The hospital superintendent assured the court that strict hygiene protocols would be enforced. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
New Indian Express
28-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Orissa HC takes stock of waterlogging measures by govt in Cuttack
CUTTACK: In a significant development concerning the persistent waterlogging issues in Cuttack city, the Orissa High Court's division bench comprising Justices SK Sahoo and V Narasingh, in a hearing held on July 25, reviewed the government's ongoing and proposed measures to address the problem. A major concern highlighted was the pending construction of a 1,300 metre-long drain from Matrubhaban to Khannagar and a box pushing culvert under railway tracks at Matrubhaban. Despite WATCO depositing over Rs 15 crore for the latter, the work remains pending due to delays by Railway authorities. The court directed a joint inspection by WATCO, East Coast Railways, TPCODL, and legal representatives at the Matrubhaban site to address relocation of an 11 KV underground cable which is blocking the project. The court has scheduled the next hearing for August 7, while directing submission of the joint inspection report by August 4. Principal secretary of Housing and Urban Development department Usha Padhee appeared in virtual mode and outlined both short-term and long-term strategies being taken by the state. She stated over 400 km of drainage works required in the city, but assured the court of the government's commitment to resolving technical issues and prioritising clogged drains. The court also took note of long-term plans, including a comprehensive drainage master plan being prepared by Visiontek Consultancy, with final submissions by December.
Time of India
27-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
HC directs govt officials to expedite drainage work in Cuttack
1 2 Cuttack: Orissa high court on Friday took stock of the chronic waterlogging issues in Cuttack and directed top govt officials to expedite drainage work while ordering a joint inspection of the Matru Bhawan site and submission of a report by Aug 4. While issuing the order, the division bench of Justices S K Sahoo and V Narasingh expressed concern over delay in executing key drainage infrastructure projects, especially a box-pushing culvert under railway tracks meant to ease stormwater discharge from Matru Bhawan to Matagajpur. A major hurdle cited was the non-construction of a 1.3km stretch of drain between Matru Bhawan and Khannagar. Watco had deposited Rs 15.45 crore with ECoR in 2016 for constructing the culvert, but work is yet to begin. The bench noted the delay was primarily due to the presence of an 11kV underground power cable. The court ordered a joint inspection involving representatives from Water Corporation of Odisha (Watco), Tata Power Central Odisha Distribution Limited (TPCODL), East Coast Railway, and members of the advocates' committee, to determine how the cable can be relocated to allow drainage work to proceed. Appearing in virtual mode, Usha Padhee, principal secretary of housing and urban development cited that over 400km of drainage work is required to be carried out in Cuttack. She informed the court about 24x7 emergency control rooms, rapid response teams, and the strategic placement of over 310 pump sets to combat flooding in low-lying areas. In a report, amicus curiae N K Mohanty apprised the court of delays in completing sewer connections across the city. He stated that only around 20,000 houses have been connected to the 362-km JICA-built sewer network, resulting in excessive discharge into open drains. Mohanty highlighted structural issues such as broken mesh and clogged drains due to debris and poor maintenance by the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC). Additionally, five key drains are still awaiting administrative approval for construction. CMC also submitted that it has engaged a consultancy firm to prepare a comprehensive drainage master plan for the city. The final report is expected by Dec. Detailed project reports (DPRs) for five major stormwater drains are under technical vetting, and tenders will be floated after govt approval and fund allocation. The matter will be taken up for next hearing on Aug 7.
New Indian Express
14-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Odisha HC raps govt over Cuttack drain project, questions pvt firm's role
CUTTACK: In a scathing order, the Orissa High Court has pulled up the Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department over serious lapses in the preparation and handling of detailed project reports (DPRs) for construction of five major storm water drains in Cuttack under the branch surface water channel (BSWC) project, worth over `335 crore. The division bench of Justices SK Sahoo and V Narasingh expressed concern over 'startling' discrepancies in the DPRs submitted by the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC). The court observed that the DPRs lacked official authentication and no names of the officials involved in their preparation were mentioned, which is a significant deviation from standard procedure. The court said more disturbingly, during a review meeting on April 30, 2025, the city engineer of CMC was represented by a private consultancy firm based in Bhubaneswar, raising questions over its authority and role. 'There is nothing on record to indicate how the private company could represent a government official,' the bench remarked.
