Odisha AYUSH Doctors Threaten Stir from March 27 Over Regularisation Demand

Their primary demands include the Service Regularisation of all 1485 Co-located AYUSH Medical Officers posted in Community Health Centres and Primary Health Centres since 2007 and ensuring job security comparable to their Ayurveda and Homeopathy counterparts in government service considering the years of Service rendered. Additionally, they are also seeking equal pay, arguing that despite their contributions to the healthcare system, they continue to face disparities in salaries.

Additionally, the association advocates for higher education opportunities while retaining their jobs, enabling professional growth and improved patient care. Another pressing concern raised by the doctors is the irregular supply of essential medicines to AYUSH hospitals, which they claim hampers effective treatment. Hence, they demanded a Continuous Supply of Ayurveda, Homeopathy, and Unani Medicines to all AYUSH OPD functioning CHCs and PHCs of Odisha.

Moreover, the association also advocated for Cashless Health Insurance up to Rs. 20 Lakhs per annum to all NHM employees of Odisha with their dependent family members coverage and financial benefit of Rs. 40 lakhs to the deceased family under NHM corpus fund for each death employee cases. Talking to Medical Dialogues, the state president of the association, Dr. Prashant Kumar Padhi stated, “We have been in service for the last 18 years, we receive a little more than Rs 30,000 while our counterparts who are permanent under Ayush are getting Rs 80,000. This is high time that government should think about regularization.”

In a press release, the association stated that in the year 2014, NHM Odisha issued a circular as per the 28 Executive Committee Meeting of OSH and FW Society to regularise all Clinical Personnel including AYUSH MOs that have equivalent Cadres in the State Government and are working as per their State cadre Post. Out of which 8195 Staff Nurses, Pharmacists, MPHW (Male & Female), and Laboratory technicians posted under NHM & other Schematic Projects are being regularised in the year 2019 as per the Cabinet Decision taken on 22-02-2019. To date, 1485 AYUSH MOs, discharging duty as per the State Cadre AMО & HMO are not yet regularised.

“Apart from this all our posted AYUSH MOS are the real implementing Officers of all State and Central Govt Health Programmes, Pandemic Outbreak & Natural Calamity Situation Management starting from Ayushman Arogya Mandir Label to Community Health Centre area with a low monthly remuneration,” the association further added. The association pointed out that in the year 2016, our State Government created a file to regularise all 1485 Co-located AYUSH MOs which was examined several times in the Law Department, P&C Department, and Finance Department which is completed in every aspect and pending at Health & FW Department since 2021.

“As per the core committee decision of our association, now it is decided to perform duty by wearing Black Batches from 20-03-2025 morning and will go on indefinite Ceased Work Agitation from 27-03-2025 Morning and Peaceful Dharana at lower PMG Bhubaneswar if the following justified genuine demands will not be fulfilled by 26-03-2025,” the association stated.

Dr Prashant Kumar Padhi said that since 2007, AYUSH doctors, who have been serving patients under the National Health Mission in 1485 community health centers and primary health centres, have been managing the state's medical system, all health schemes run by the central and state governments, combating natural disasters, direct combat against COVID and other epidemics, managing Shraddha Clinics, playing a leading role in combating the problem of malnutrition, and playing a leading role in managing several health schemes and ground level work.

State General Secretary of the Association, Dr Prabhas Chandra Swain, pointed out that although the government formed a committee in April 2013 to assess the permanent employment status of AYUSH doctors working under the National Health Mission (NHM) and to compare their salaries with those in other states, no concrete benefits have been provided to them so far. Dr. Swain further stated that in 2014, the State Health and Family Welfare Committee made an announcement regarding their employment status. Later, in 2016, after a high-level meeting chaired by the Health Secretary and attended by all Health Directors and Health Department officials, a formal proposal was submitted by the Ayush Director recommending the creation of the Ayush Treatment Officer post in Community Health Centers (CHCs) and Primary Health Centers (PHCs) across the state.

Despite multiple reviews of this proposal by the Departments of Law, Planning and Coordination, and Finance, it remains stalled in the Health Department, awaiting policy formulation. Dr. Swain emphasized that this prolonged delay reflects the government’s continued disregard for AYUSH doctors, who play a crucial role in the state's healthcare system. Hence, the association will start their agitation from 27th March until their problems are mitigated.