Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has constituted an inter-departmental committee to examine various demands raised by the Odisha Medical Service Association (OMSA), whose members have launched an agitation halting OPD work for one hour daily.
Officials said the formation of the committee aims to strengthen healthcare delivery and safeguard public interest.
The committee will function under the chairmanship of the Additional Chief Secretary, General Administration & Public Grievance Department. Its members include Principal Secretaries of Finance and Law Departments, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department, and Director of Health Services. The Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Health and Family Welfare will act as the member-convener.
The committee will deliberate on OMSA’s demands, analyse their implications, and submit a detailed report to the government. Officials confirmed that the exercise seeks to balance the concerns of doctors with the broader goal of improving public healthcare services.
The state government reiterated its sensitivity towards the issues faced by doctors. Authorities emphasised that Odisha remains committed to taking positive measures to make healthcare services more effective and accessible for citizens.
It may be noted that Outpatient department (OPD) services in government hospitals across Odisha faced partial disruptions since Friday as doctors launched their daily one-hour boycott from 10 am to 11 am.
The protest involves government doctors under the aegis of
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.
The association proceeded with the one-hour suspension of OPD services and NHM-related works over non-fulfilment of their demands, including key reforms in the state’s healthcare sector, despite a meeting with Health and Family Welfare minister Mukesh Mahaling.
While urging the association members to refrain from resorting to agitation, the Minister had informed them about the government’s decision to constitute a committee to look into their 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.