Odisha Govt To Form Committee To Study Demands, Urges Striking Nurses To Resume Duty

Bhubaneswar: Following a two-day strike by nursing officers to press for their 10-point charter of demands, the Odisha government has decided to constitute an inter-departmental committee to deliberate on the various issues raised by Odisha Nursing Employees’ Association (ONEA).

The demands include promotion after taking into account six years of contractual service period of nurses appointed before November 2013, fixation of cadre on the basis of seniority, change in dress code, stopping contractual appointment through outsourcing agency and bringing nurses from community health officer (CHO) posts of Ayushman Arogya centres back to government hospitals.

The Health department, in a statement on Thursday, said the government has taken stock of the situation that arose due to the on-going strike. The demands of ONEA were discussed at a high-level meeting and a decision to constitute an inter-departmental committee was taken to look into the issue. “In view of the above, it is appealed that, keeping in view the importance of critical healthcare needs, the agitating nursing officers should desist from agitational path and resume their duty immediately.,” it added.

Notably, talks between ONEA and Health secretary Aswathy S had remained inconclusive on Wednesday as the association demanded formation of a high-power inter-departmental committee for taking a favourable decision towards fulfilling their demands. 

Barring emergency services including casualty, intensive care unit (ICU), labour room and operation theatres (OTs), the nurses had stopped providing services in various wards of different departments on Wednesday and Thursday despite ESMA (Essential Services Maintenance Act) still in force. They were to resort to ceasework from Friday.