Odisha AYUSH doctors stage protest seeking job regularisation

Bhubaneswar: Continuing their long-standing protests over the regularization of jobs, the AYUSH doctors, under the banner of State RBSK AYUSH Doctors’ Association in Odisha, went on a strike at the Lower PMG Square in Bhubaneswar on Monday.  

The doctors from Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy took out a rally against the state government's delay in fulfilling their demands. The doctors had earlier warned of holding a strike at Lower PMG Square in Bhubaneswar for an indefinite period if their demands were not met by the government by February 19. 

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The doctors staged a demonstration and began shouting slogans against the state government as it culminated at Lower PMG. The protesters alleged that around 1200 AYUSH doctors are working on a contractual basis on a lower salary and the government has announced the abolishment of the contractual recruitment system on the other hand. 

The doctors further alleged that despite having a number of discussions, the government is not taking any efforts to fulfill their demands. They threatened of intensifying their protests if their demands are not met by the government. 

Speaking to the Odisha TV, Dr Himanshu Mishra, working president,State RBSK AYUSH Doctors’ Association said, "Despite being in a noble profession, we the doctors, have been forced to hit the street. This is the third time that we are staging a demonstration. We were posted in November 2013. But we are yet to be regularized." 

Demanding the regularization of jobs, the AYUSH doctors alleged that their work is not inferior to that done by MBBS doctors. 

During the previous protests led by the AYUSH doctors more than a week ago, they had worn black badges to work demanding regularization of jobs and had threatened of going on an indefinite strike if their demands were not met by February 19. The current protests are in continuation of that. 

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