Orissa doctors on war path, submit resignation en masse

Bhubaneswar, Nov 3 (UNI) Protesting the dismissal of three doctors for preserving the palms of three tribals killed in Kalinga Nagar Police firing and non-fulfillment of their other demands, all Orissa government doctors today resigned en masse.

Orissa Medical Service Association (OMSA) has described the government's action as clear violation of Orissa High Court's order which had directed reinstatement of the three suspended medics.

The High Court had also observed that preserving the palms, which had been disarticulated from the wrist, was an accepted procedure and did not find any objection in the procedure.

OMSA President Madhusudan Mishra told newspersons here the three doctors had conducted autopsy of the victims and preserved the palms as per the direction of the district collector to establish the identity of the body.

Earlier, the government had suspended the three medics after much hue and cry over the issue and later dismissed them on the direction of the Chief Minister, while acting on the report of the Human Rights Commission.

Dr Mishra said though the Supreme Court had ruled that the technical ability of the doctors should be judged by a team of highly qualified and experienced doctors, the government acted on the HRC report which has no such expertise.

He said the government also yet to take a decision on the demands for restructuring of cadre and security of the doctors though the Chief Minister had promised eight months back to fulfill the demands within a stipulated period of two months.

Dr Mishra said they had so far submitted the resignation of 2468 doctors out of the total 2800 to the Secretary Health adding that the resignation letters of other doctors would be submitted to the government soon.

He said if the government did not fulfill their demands by November 8 they would presume that their resignations had been accepted and would not join duty from November 9.

UNI BD DP NY AS1837