Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court has directed the State Government to pay compensation to the kin of the Covid-19 victims who died or suffered due to negligence or lack of timely medical treatment at Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla in Sambalpur.
The Court has asked the Government to provide compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to families of two deceased, and Rs 50,000 each to 11 other families, by May 2 and also furnish a compliance report by the same date.
The decision was taken based on the report submitted by retired district judge ABS Naidu who had been appointed as Inquiry Officer to examine the allegations of medical negligence in the treatment of the victims at VIMSAR.
It is pertinent to mention that a division bench of the Orissa High Court comprising Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice Savitri Ratho passed the order on July 7, 2021, while hearing a petition filed by Gyanadutta Chouhan of Bargarh.
Chouhan had filed nine affidavits of persons whose close relatives purportedly suffered on account of lack of proper or timely treatment at the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The affidavits stated that ‘the victims did not receive the requisite medical treatment at VIMSAR and that needless deaths had occurred as a result thereof.’
