Odisha Govt doctors end OPD shutdown after talks with Health Minister

Bhubaneswar: Following a meeting with Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling, government doctors at state-run hospitals across Odisha on Thursday called off their outpatient department (OPD) boycott after receiving assurances that the majority of their demands would be addressed.

With the strike called off, healthcare services across the state are expected to return to normal, bringing an end to the two-hour daily OPD shutdown.

Medical Dialogues yesterday reported that despite the Odisha government invoking the Essential Services (Maintenance) Act (ESMA), 1988, to stop doctors and other healthcare workers from going on strike, government doctors under the Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA) went ahead with their scheduled protest on Wednesday by boycotting OPD services for two hours.

Also Read:Odisha Govt doctors stage 2-hour OPD boycott, defying ESMA orders

Speaking to TOI, Mahaling said, “We gave assurance to Odisha Medical Service Association (OMSA) to resolve the matter by taking recommendations of the inter-departmental committee formed to look after the demands of doctors. OMSA agreed that they would not go for an OPD strike from Friday and will resolve the matter through discussions with the government.”

To address the concerns of doctors, the state government had earlier formed an inter-departmental committee to review and analyse their demands. The health minister also held multiple rounds of talks with the protesting doctors in an effort to end the impasse.

On January 5, the government agreed to two key demands, including increasing the stipend paid to doctors for conducting post-mortem examinations from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000. It also agreed to enhance postgraduate incentives for dentists. However, despite these assurances, the OPD strike continued.

In a bid to ensure uninterrupted health services, the state government on Tuesday invoked the Essential Services (Maintenance) Act (ESMA), banning strikes and any form of work stoppage by doctors and other medical staff in government and grant-in-aid health institutions for six months. Despite the ESMA order, doctors continued their two-hour OPD strike on Wednesday and Thursday.

The impasse ended after the health minister held detailed discussions with OMSA office-bearers.

Also Read:Odisha government doctors intensify protest, OPDs shut for two hours