Narottam Sahu v. State of Odisha

Orissa HC13 Jan 2026WP(C)/32193/2025

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Deogarh; Community Health Centre (CHC); Public Interest Litigation; health infrastructure; round-the-clock medical services; Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC); District Headquarter Hospital (DHH) shifted to Baliroi; Director of Health Services affidavit dated 09.12.2025; LTRMO 24x7 posting; observation beds; specialized camps; State of Odisha; writ petition disposed as grievance redressed.

What did the court decide?

Since the decision has already been taken by the Government to provide the requisite facilities, the grievance of the petitioners stands redressed. ¶¶39

Narottam Sahu Vs State of Odisha — Orissa HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF ORISSA AT CUTTACK

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W.P.(C) PIL No.32193 of 2025

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Narottam Sahu and others …. Petitioner s

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Mr. Swapnil Roy, Advocate

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-versus-

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State of Odisha and others

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…. Opposite Parties

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Mr. Debashis Tripathy, Addl. Government Advocate

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CORAM:

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THE HON’BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE AND

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THE HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE MURAHARI SRI RAMAN

ORDER

Order No.

13.01.2026

1. Petitioners have come up before this Court by way of filing the instant writ petition in the nature of Public Interest Litigation for establishment of necessary infrastructure and providing the following facilities:

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“(ii) For that population of Deogarh district was more than 3 lakhs and the Deogarh town was 26000 as per 2011 Census, which is more likely to be increased in the meantime. Therefore, the prayer of the people of Deogarh town and district before the Opposite Parties to establish a Community Health Centre (CHC) in the building where District Headquarter Hospital was functioning earlier, which would enable the people of that area to access the medical/hospital facility and they will not be deprived of the same. The people of Deogarh

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town and district cannot sustain with functioning of one District Headquarter hospital and therefore the prayer of the petitioners for establishing a Community Health Centre is a genuine one and is in the interest of the people of Deogarh town and District.

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(iii) For that with the opening of a Community Health Centre a Pharmacist and a Chemist will be accompanied which will benefit the people of the area, and they will not have to commute to different places or cities for treatment.

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(iv) For that the petitioners' prayer is to open a Community Health Centre (CHC) is justified as it will be operational with the help of 5 specialist doctors serving in it to provide immediate medical services to the people in the Deogarh town, otherwise the people in the area will be prejudiced as they have lesser means. (v) For that, the Primary Health Centre is incapable to meet the medical service requirements of Deogarh town. The Primary Health Centre is currently operating with one doctor and with no beds and machines and equipment are also not available for testing. The visiting hour of the said doctor in the Primary Health Centre is from 8 A.M. to 12 A.M. and 4 P.M. to 6 P.M. and thereafter the Primary Health Centre remains nonoperational.”

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On 25.11.2025, this Court took note of the fact that the primary grievance of the petitioners hovers around the seamless extension of the health care

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services/facilities round the clock instead of restricted hours. It is also observed that the Collector and District Magistrate, Deogarh has approached the Additional Secretary to Government in Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Odisha for approval of the proposal meted out by the Zilla Nagarika Committee, Deogarh to provide adequate numbers of doctors and para-medical staff. Though the Additional Secretary has forwarded the proposal to the Director of Health Services, Odisha on 09.09.2025 to examine the proposal and assess the feasibility of operating a 24-hour medical facility in the old hospital building at Deogarh, there was no progress made in this regard. Therefore, the learned Additional Standing Counsel was directed to take instruction whether any decision has been taken on the basis of the said letter by the Director, Health Services, Odisha, Bhubaneswar and disclose the same. Thereafter, the matter was listed for couple of occasions and an affidavit dated 09.12.2025 has come to be filed by the Director of Health Services, Odisha affirming that after shifting of the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) to its new building at Baliroi on 11.07.2025, the Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) running at Nirbeni Sahi of Deogarh Town has been shifted to old DHH building and

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functioning with a Doctor, a Nursing Officer, a Laboratory Technician, a Pharmacy Officer, a Security and a Sanitary Worker. The OPD facilities are also provided from 8.00 A.M. to 12.00 Noon and from 4.00 P.M. to 6.00 P.M. One Ambulance is stationed at the Old DHH Building to shift any person requiring emergency service coming from urban areas to the District Head Quarters Hospital. From paragraph-8 of the said affidavit, it is ascertained that besides specialized camps to cater to the health care need of the locality, the Government has decided to provide the following services in due course:

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“(i) OPD Services

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(ii) Drug Dispensing Unit

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(iii) Laboratory/Diagnostic Services at par with PHC AAM.

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(iv) Provision upto 10 observation beds with required logistics

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(v) Posting of LTRMOs (Leave Training Reserve Medical Officer) from the district pool, to provide 24x7 services.

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(vi) Engagement of basic specialty services (O & G, Medicine, Paediatrics, Surgery) on fixed day basis from the District Pool

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(vii) Disease Surveillance

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(viii) Tele consultation as per norm

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(ix) Physiotherapy services as per NHM guidelines

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(x) YOGA part time as per NHM guidelines

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(xi) Wellness initiatives, IEC/BCC

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(xii) Outreach Services/Community mobilization (xiii) Conducting specialized camps every quarter (xiv) Any other required services may be provided with approval of Collector & DM under DMF/CSR Funds.”

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Since the decision has already been taken by the Government for providing the requisite facilities, the grievance of the petitioners has been redressed thereby. It is hoped that the Government shall provide the facilities and infrastructure as per affidavit referred to above within a reasonable period. It is, therefore, felt that keeping the instant matter pending would not subserve any purpose.

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With the above observation, the writ petition is disposed of.

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(Harish Tandon) Chief Justice

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Signature Not Verified

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Bichi Digitally Signed Signed by: BICHITRANANDA SAHOO Designation: Secretary Reason: Authentication Location: Orissa High Court, Cuttack Date: 15-Jan-2026 16:51:00

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(M.S. Raman) Judge

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Narottam Sahu v. State of Odisha

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Narottam Sahu v. State of Odisha

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

What the court decided

Issues for consideration

Procedural history

Parties & counsel

Coram

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