Striking Doctors postpone cease work agitation in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Nov 8 (UNI) Orissa Medical Service Association(OMSA) today postponed its proposed cease work agitation scheduled to begin from tomorrow for three months following a discussion with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Mr. Patnaik told newspersons here that the government had always been sympathetic to the genuine demands of the doctors. A number of their demands had already been fulfilled and if there were still some problems in implementation the Health Secretary would look into them.

Mr Patnaik said the restructure of the cadres, one of the major demands of the doctors, would be worked out within three months.

He said a bill regarding providing security to the doctors would be introduced in the coming session of the assembly.

On the disciplinary proceedings against three doctors in the chopping off palm of tribals killed in Kalinga Nagar police firing case, the Chief Minister said no decision was taken adding that the government would examine the representation of the doctors on merit.

OMSA President Madhusudan Mishra said in the greater interest of people of Orissa and showing respect to Chief Minister all doctors would work as usual from tomorrow.

OMSA had submitted the resignation of 2470 of the total 2800 doctors to the government demanding the fulfilment of their six points charter of demands and threatened to resort to cease work from tomorrow if their demands were not met.

The demands included reinstatement of the three doctors suspended from service for chopping off the palms of five tribals killed in police firing, restructuring of cadres and enactment of an act for providing security to the doctors on duty.

Apprehending collapse of health care system in the state in the wake of the OMSA threat to cease work from November 9, the state government had invoked Essential Service Maintenance Act(ESMA) in the state for six months describing the strike as illegal and violation of service conduct rule.

The government even warned that the doctors remaining absent from their duty would be taken to task as per the provision of the EMSA and decided to recruit doctors from outside the state to manage the health care system in the state.

The district collectors were even asked to make available of alternative arrangement to manage the hospitals if the doctors went ahead with their proposed cease work agitation from November nine next.

UNI BD DP RD 2244