Bhubaneswar: Odisha government on Thursday asked campus medicine stores operating from public health institutions across the state to vacate. It took this decision on the basis of an order of Orissa High Court.
Certain campus medicine stores had approached the high court assailing the communication of the health and family welfare department issued on February 27, 2015. According to the department communication, no extension of license of on-campus medical stores was to be permitted and further, no new campus medical store was to be opened.
Despite expiry of their license agreements, these campus medicine stores had been running their business pursuant to interim orders passed by the high court. On April 19, the high court dismissed all the writ petitions.
Following this development, the health and family welfare department on Thursday directed authorities of MKCG medical college and hospital, VIMSAR Burla and chief district medical and public health officers of 24 districts to immediately issue ‘vacation notices’ to the campus medicine shops. As many as 15 days has been given to the shops for vacating the premises.
“You are further directed to take all possible steps in accordance with law to recover possession of the premises immediately after expiry of the 15 days period,” said department secretary Shalini Pandit in the letter.
As many as 101 campus medicine shops are in the list of the department. These are situated in primary health centres (PHCs), community health centres (CHCs), sub-divisional hospitals (SDHs), district headquarters hospitals (DHHs) and medical college and hospital (MCH). Some of these shops have been closed. These medicine stores will be vacated immediately, said a health Department Officer.
