Odisha Doctors Stage 2-Hour OPD Boycott Amid Demands for Better Pay, Staffing

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Bhubaneswar, India - In a show of solidarity, over 6,000 government doctors in Odisha boycotted outpatient department (OPD) services for two hours on Wednesday, as part of their ongoing protest against the state government's refusal to meet their demands. The doctors, under the Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA), are seeking better pay, more staffing, and other benefits, including parity with central government employees and additional incentives for super-specialists. The state government had earlier announced the doctors' agitation as illegal, citing the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), which bans strikes in essential services for six months. However, OMSA president Kishore Mishra countered that the peaceful protest was a legitimate expression of the doctors' grievances and a call for the government to address their 'genuine problems'. The boycott, which took place from 9 am to 11 am, was a symbolic protest, with doctors attending to patients and providing emergency services, surgeries, and indoor treatment as usual. The OMSA has demanded the intervention of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and has proposed a 10-point charter of demands, which includes proportional restructuring of cadres and performance-based incentives. The state government has constituted a high-level committee to consider the doctors' demands, but the doctors' OPD boycott has already impacted health services in rural and remote areas. The OMSA has pointed out that the state has a shortage of over 9,000 doctors, with more than 50% of posts vacant, putting additional pressure on existing doctors. The protest is set to continue, with the next phase of the OPD boycott scheduled for January 12.