OPSC-recommended faculty appointments at SCB MCH Cuttack: Orissa HC tells govt to expedite process

The Orissa High Court has directed the state government to swiftly complete the appointment and posting of assistant professors recommended by the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) for SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCB MCH) in Cuttack, citing an acute shortage of doctors and teaching staff at the state’s premier medical institution.

According to details of the hearing, a division bench, which took up the matter on August 21, reviewed Health Department records showing that OPSC had shortlisted 89 candidates in 22 broad specialities.

The listing was done under the 2023–24 recruitment cycle, against a requisition for 102 posts in 23 disciplines. In the super-speciality segment, seven candidates were selected in the 2022–23 cycle against nine vacancies.

As per submissions made before the court, 12 assistant professors have already joined across seven disciplines following a government order on June 6 this year. The rest are awaiting counselling and final approval.

Despite this progress, an affidavit filed on August 12 revealed that 87 sanctioned teaching positions remain unfilled, burdening both patient care and academic training.

Longstanding Vacancies at SCB

The faculty gap at SCB MCH Cuttack has been a recurring concern, with repeated recruitment exercises unable to keep pace with growing demand.

As Odisha’s largest referral hospital and teaching centre, SCB draws patients from across the state, and the persistent shortage of doctors has raised questions about the quality of care.

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Parallel Case on Transplant Deaths

Separately, the High Court is hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging that 125 of 175 kidney transplant patients treated at SCB MCH since 2012 have died due to poor post-operative care and systemic lapses.

The case, being heard by Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice M.S. Raman, has been posted for further hearing on September 10, with the government directed to file an affidavit in response.