Cuttack, June 5: Orissa High Court has sought response from the Centre and the Medical Council of India on a PIL seeking direction to grant permission for starting super specialty DM (Doctor in Medicine) course in haematology at SCB Medical College.

Haematology is a branch of medicine, which includes study, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases related to blood. Haematologists are specialists, who deal with diagnosis, treatment and overall management of people with blood disorders ranging from anaemia to leukaemia.

Yesterday, the vacation court was hearing the PIL, filed by Odia Yuva Manch president Rohan Kumar Mohanty and Odisha Rationalist Society secretary Debendra Sutar, which stated that patients suffering from blood related disorders were facing problems due to shortage of haematologists in the state.

The petition stated that the council and the Union health ministry did not grant permission to start DM courses in clinical haematology even as the SCB authorities had submitted applications twice for it for 2014-15 and 2015-16 academic sessions, along with required papers, documents and prescribed fees.

"The division bench of Justice B.P. Ray and Justice Biswanath Rath posted the matter to June 22 for hearing, along with replies from the Centre and the council," petitioner's counsel Kshirod Rout told The Telegraph today.

"The court accordingly issued notices to secretaries of the health ministry and the council to file their responses by then," Rout said.

According to the petition, the two other government medical college hospitals in the state - VSS Medical College and Hospital in Burla and MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur - depend on the SCB as it has a clinical haematology department.

"If the DM course in haematology is not opened at the SCB, patients of Odisha and those of the neighbouring states will suffer an irreparable loss," the petitioners contend.

The PIL assumes significance as there is requirement of qualified haematologists due to the high incidence of blood diseases in the state. According to official reports, while over half of the entire population is anaemic, more than 80 per cent of pregnant women are suffering from anaemia. Thalassaemia afflicts at least 3 to 5 per cent of the population, while sickle cell anaemia is spreading beyond the traditional west Odisha region to other districts with migration and marriages. Blood cancer is also reported to be rising.