Odisha: Health Dept Asks Private Medicine Stores to Vacate Within 15 Days from Public Health Institutions  

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Health & Family Welfare Department has directed the private medicine stores operating inside the premises of public health institutions to vacate within 15 days.

The direction has been issued by Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Health & Family Welfare Department Shalini Pandit on the basis of the verdict dated 19th April, 2024 of the High Court passed in a bench of cases which were filed by the owners of private medicine stores running within the campus of Public health institutions.

Pandit wrote a letter to Superintendent/ Dean & Principal, MKCG MCH, Berhampur; Director, VIMSAR, Burla and CDM&PHOs of Angul, Balasore, Bhadrak, Bolangir, Cuttack, Gajapati, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Koraput, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Nabarangpur, Nayagarh, Puri, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Sundargarh and Nuapada directing them to serve ‘vacation notices’ to Campus Medicine Shops affording therein a time of 15 days for vacating the premises.

Only Government-run Niramaya medicine counters, which provide all types of medicines free of cost, will operate inside Government hospital premises, the Health Department said.