India, Sept. 6 -- The Orissa High Court has ordered a clinical audit of patient deaths following open-heart surgeries at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, after an affidavit by hospital authorities revealed that nearly one in three patients did not survive this year.

The HC had earlier taken suo motu cognisance of a series of deaths of patients who had undergone open-heart surgeries at SCB Medical College.

The SCB Medical College and Hospital authorities, in their affidavit, said that the hospital performed 165 open-heart procedures in 2023 with 15 deaths, 135 in 2024 with 24 deaths, and 85 between January and August 2025 with 26 deaths.

"One-third mortality is deeply concerning; reasons must be clinically audited. This is d...