Bhubaneswar: Outpatient department (OPD) services in government hospitals across Odisha faced further disruptions on Monday as doctors intensified their agitation with their daily two-hour boycott.
The protest involves government doctors under the aegis of the Odisha Medical Service Association (OMSA), abstaining from OPD duties and work under the National Health Mission (NHM) during the specified hour. Emergency services, inpatient care, and surgeries remain unaffected to minimise impact on critical patients.
Stepping up the stir, the OMSA has decided to shut down OPD services for two hours every day at government hospitals. As per the decision, OPDs will remain closed from 9 am to 11 am daily from Monday.
The two-hour boycott is being observed at all levels of government healthcare facilities, including primary health centres (PHC), community health centres (CHC) and district headquarters hospitals (DHH).
The association went for the two-hour suspension of OPD services and NHM-related works over non-fulfilment of their demands, including key reforms in the state’s healthcare sector.
Earlier, doctors were closing OPD services for one hour daily. However, with no progress in talks, the association decided t
o extend the shutdown period.
The state government has constituted an inter-departmental committee to examine the demands raised by the doctors.
OMSA has been agitating since December 26, pressing for fulfilment of its 10-point charter of demands. The demands are as follows:
1. Equal pay scales matching those of central government employees, including the removal of Level-15 (as applicable to other Class-I officers in the Odisha government) without any preconditions.
2. Proportional restructuring of cadres across all grades.
3. Additional financial incentives for super-specialists, specialists, and diploma-holding medical administrators, along with a dedicated postmortem allowance and equivalent Performance-Based Incentives (PBI) for both OMHS and OMES cadres.
4. An exit policy allowing doctors who have served more than three years in the Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput (KBK), KBK-plus, and tribal sub-plan regions to opt out or transfer.
5. Annual regular recruitment of doctors and ensuring timely promotions.
6. Amendment of the Odisha Medicare Act-2008 to include non-bailable warrants for individuals assaulting doctors.
7. Provision of 24/7 armed security and dedicated police outposts in all healthcare facilities across the state.
8. Additionally, the doctors have sought:Regularisation of ad-hoc appointments.
9. Counting of ad-hoc and contractual service periods toward regular service benefits.
10. Comprehensive health insurance coverage for all healthcare workers.
While intensifying the agitation, OMSA has clarified that emergency and critical care services will continue without disruption.