Cuttack, April 9: Orissa High Court today directed the Odisha government to file a status report by April 25 on steps taken to address the deficiencies at the paediatric hospital, which is popularly known as Sishu Bhavan.

The two-judge bench of Justice B.P. Das and Justice Indrajit Mohanty issued the order after the commissioner-cum-secretary of the health and family welfare department, Anu Garg, and director of medical education and training, Prasanna Das, appeared before it today in pursuance of an earlier order.

The court had issued the order after the Advocates’ Committee constituted by it submitted a report on April 4, elucidating the deficiencies plaguing the state-run hospital of the Sardar Vallabhai Patel PG Institute of Paediatrics. After visiting Sishu Bhavan, the committee submitted the report following directions of the high court on a Maitree Sansad petition that highlighted the problems at the institution.

While pointing out that operations were being conducted by hiring anaesthetics from outside, the report said the paediatric hospital lacked sufficient emergency care facilities, MRI, CT Scan and Digital X-Ray facility.

While one of the three X-Ray machines was not functioning because of non-availability of sufficient number of radiologists, round-the-clock service could not be provided.

The suction machine was not functioning and only eight ventilators were available in the 12 paediatric Intensive Care Units in the new block. Only nine beds were available for neonatal intensive care. Also tablets were being supplied instead of syrups, the report further said.

Taking note of it, the court observed: “One of the deficiencies at Sishu Bhavan — that it is functioning without anaesthetics — has shocked us. If it is true then it is very serious as it amounts criminal negligence for which criminal proceedings should be initiated against the concerned authority.”

“We direct the commissioner-cum-secretary of health and family welfare department and the director of medical education and training to appear before us on April 9, 2012 at 1.30 pm and explain the situation,” the court in its order said.

Sources said the two senior officials after appearing in person said they did not know that the paediatric hospital was running without an anaesthetic specialist before receiving the April 4 court order on Saturday.

The two senior officials present in court assured that an anaesthetist would be posted at the hospital soon.