Bhubaneswar: Doctors at various state-run hospitals in Odisha observed an indefinite strike for the second successive day on Thursday over 10-point demands, including transparency in the transfer policy and cadre restructuring, affecting services at the health facilities.
Around 8,000 doctors under the banner of the Odisha Medical Services Association launched the cease-work agitation at district headquarters hospitals and health facilities at sub-divisions and in rural areas Wednesday, coinciding with National Doctors’ Day.
However, doctors at the medical colleges are providing patient care services while wearing black badges, an OMSA official said.
The contractual doctors also continued their services in many healthcare facilities, he said.
The major demands of the agitating doctors include cadre restructuring, KBK (Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput) exit policy, transparency in transfer policy, insurance, incentives, and dynamic assured career progression (DACP) benefits in line with the central government health scheme (CGHS).
There is a three-year mandatory service agreement for doctors in the Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput (KBK) area. However, the doctors’ forum alleged that they are not transferred even after completion of the three years.
“As the government has ignored our genuine demands, including DACP at par with the CGHS, security and health insurance for doctors, we were forced to go on an indefinite strike,” Odisha Medical Services Association president Kishore Chandra Mishra said.
If the government does not consider the demands, the protest will continue, and the authorities will be responsible for the disruption in the healthcare services, he said.
“The strike has severely affected services at outpatient departments (OPD) and routine care in several government-run hospitals, particularly in district and rural areas,” another official said.
As doctors remained absent from duty, OPD patients in district headquarters hospitals in Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, and Jajpur were seen standing in long queues.
Many patients returned home without receiving services at rural health facilities, the official said.
“I have been standing in the queue since 7 am, and more than three hours have passed, but no senior doctor attended the out-patient department. Only a few doctors are available for the services,” said a woman in Balasore district headquarters hospital.
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