Bhubaneswar, April 26: The Odisha government on Thursday asked to vacate private medicine stores operating in the premises of public health institutions across the state. The direction came on the basis of an order of the Orissa High Court.
The health and family welfare department has decided to vacate 101 private medicine stores from government hospital premises within 15 days.
Department secretary Shalini Pandit on Thursday asked authorities of MKCG Medical College and Hospital, VIMSAR Burla and chief district medical officers of 24 districts to immediately issue vacation notices to the campus medicine stores.
Only government-run Niramaya medicine counters will operate in hospital premises. The Niramaya stores are providing all types of medicines free of cost at government hospitals following which the health and family welfare department had decided to vacate the private medicine stores.
Campus medicine store owners' association had approached the Orissa High Court against the health department's communication in this regard on February 27, 2015.
The communication had asked for no further extension of license of on-campus medicine stores or opening of new ones.
The High Court dismissed all the petitions of on-campus medicine store owners on April 19.
