Cuttack, April 2: Orissa High Court has set a three-month deadline for the state government to come up with a separate ward at the SCB hospital for unattended and unidentified patients.

The court set the time limit while directing the government to implement the recommendations and suggestions that the Cuttack collector had stated in his report after probing into an Italian tourist's death at the hospital over two years ago.

The court issued the direction while disposing of a PIL filed by Sevak, a Chhatia-based voluntary organisation. Sevak secretary Achyuta Kumar Sahoo alleged that the death of the Italian tourist was caused due to negligence in the medical care and treatment.

Sebastian Rosario Contiguglia, a 63-year-old Italian national, had died at the hospital on December 14, 2012, after being under treatment for over a fortnight.

The revenue divisional commissioner (central) had ordered for an administrative inquiry by the Cuttack collector following allegations that the Italian national had died due to lack of proper care and treatment.

The commissioner had approved the inquiry report of the Cuttack collector and submitted it to the government on January 11, 2013.

The PIL had sought court direction to the government to provide proper medical treatment to the destitute, persons abandoned by family, unidentified accident victims and persons without attendants at the hospital. The court had reserved judgment on May 16, 2013 after taking note of the Cuttack collector's inquiry report and an affidavit, filed by the secretary of the state health and family welfare department.

"The division bench of Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice B.N. Mohapatra disposed of the PIL on Tuesday with a direction for implementation of the recommendation and suggestion given by the Cuttack collector in his report within three months, but further directed the secretary of the state health and family welfare department to submit a compliance report," petitioner counsel Prabir Das told The Telegraph today.

"The court has directed the registry to list the matter on July 6, along with the compliance report," Das said.

In his inquiry report, Cuttack collector and district magistrate Girish S.N. had stated that the hospital "lacks institutional mechanism to take care of unidentified or unattended patients", while observing that "It is high time the hospital started a separate ward lest such patients suffer negligence of care".

Girish stated: "It is seen that several unidentified or unattended patients are undergoing treatment in various departments of SCB hospital. Therefore, it is suggested to constitute a separate care taking ward for such patients. In such a ward, it can be ensured that attendants are deployed and perform their duties round the clock."

Lodging of unidentified and unattended patients in a single ward would make it "easier to arrange free medicine and treatment".

"Several service provider agencies would come forward to provide attendants since this would be a pragmatic and remunerative arrangement," the collector said in his inquiry report.