Orissa High Court has directed the state government to come up with a comprehensive plan under which a survey will be undertaken to ascertain that every allopathic doctor practising in Odisha possesses proper and relevant qualifications.

The high court was hearing a case relating to fake doctors on Wednesday when it was informed about the report of the World Bank which claimed that 51 per cent of doctors lack requisite qualifications.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Dr S. Muralidhar and Justice S.K. Panigrahi said: “Such a survey should be undertaken in a time-bound manner and be concluded preferably within a period of six months.”

“An affidavit will be filed in this Court by the Addl. Chief Secretary to Government, Health and Family Welfare Department, at least one week prior to the next date, setting out the modalities of verification, the time period within which the verification will be concluded and the consequential action if it is found that a person was practising without due qualification. The steps be taken in coordination with the Medical Council of India,” said the court.

The next date for the hearing is scheduled on January 27. Health services director Bijoy Mohapatra told The Telegraph: “We will comply with the orders of the high court. I don’t have the source of the survey of the World Bank regarding the qualification of doctors. Whether the survey is Odisha-specific or India-specific that will be ascertained first. However, all those doctors working in the state have already been registered. There is no denying that quacks are still working at the village level.”