Compensatory leave for doctors: Odisha issues notification granting leave for working on public holidays

To ensure transparency in the allocation of leave for doctors, the Odisha government has issued a notification on allowing compensatory leave to medical officers discharging duty on notified public holidays.

The Health and Family Welfare Department issued guidelines in this regard on Thursday. The Commissioner-cum secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department, Shalini Pandit intimated this through a letter to the directors of Capital Hospital, RGH, Rourkela, all chief district medical officers (CDMOs), superintendents of sub-divisional hospitals and community health centres.

In the letter, it was clarified that all medical officers of the Odisha Medical and Health Services(OMHS) cadre who have attended duty on designated public holidays notified by the state government, will be allowed to avail of an equal number of alternative off days in the same month, but it is subject to adequate availability of human resources at the hospitals. 

“For smooth functioning of the hospitals and to provide proper healthcare to the general public of Odisha, the superintendent/ medical officer-in-charge of that facility shall make a roster arrangement of that month to ensure that all working hours are covered,” the letter added. 

However, the superintendent or the medical officer-in-charge of the health facility has been entitled to decide the number of alternative off-days for doctors by taking into account the availability of human resources in that month. 
In case of inadequate staff, the heads of the hospitals can reduce the number of alternative off-days. 

In the case of the hospital having a single doctor, the superintendent/BPHO of the CHC will allow alternative off days by taking into account the presence of AYUSH medical officers and pharmacists at the facility concerned.

However, as per another condition laid down, alternative off-days will not be merged with CLs and ELs while alternative off-days admissible in a month cannot be carried over to the next month, except when the public holiday falls in the last week of a month.