Odisha Brings Paramedics & Other Employees Of Govt Healthcare Centres Under ESMA

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has brought services of nurses, pharmacists, paramedics, technicians and other Class III and Class IV employees engaged in state-run healthcare centres, including medical colleges and hospitals and health institutes receiving government grants, under Odisha Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, prohibiting them from going on strikes.

The order will remain in force for six months, the notification issued on April 16 stated. 

“In the interest of public, it is necessary to prohibit strikes in the form of cessation of work by nurses, pharmacists, paramedics, technicians, other class-III and Class-IV employees, including contractual employees in services/engagements connected with maintenance of medical services in government hospitals and dispensaries so that health care delivery system in the state is not affected/disrupted,” it read.

The prohibition is applicable to those working in Districts Headquarters Hospitals, Sub-Divisional Hospitals, Community Health Centres, Primary Health Centres, Municipality Hospitals, ESI hospitals, Medical Colleges and Hospitals, and other autonomous health institutions receiving grant-in-aid from sate government, specifically AHRCC, Regional Spinal Injury Centre, Jail Hospitals and Police Hospitals, it added.