Odisha nursing staff to continue protest as ‘talks with govt fail’

Discussion between the Odisha Nursing Employees’ Association (ONEA) and the State government reportedly failed, and as a result, nursing staff will continue their protest, informed the General Secretary of the association on Wednesday.

ONEA has demanded that the government should form a high-level committee to initiate discussion with the association. As per the ONEA, either the Chief Minister or the Health Minister should discuss with them and consider their demands.

Flouting Odisha Emergency Services (Maintenance) Act, 1988 (ESMA), the nursing staff of state-run hospitals and healthcare centres in Odisha have launched a two-day agitation from today demanding fulfilment of their 10-point charter of demands that includes regularisation of contractual workers and scrapping of outsourcing.

Other than emergency services, ICU and OT, the nurses at the State-run hospitals have refrained from other hospital work. As a result, healthcare services across the State have been severely affected.

Even ONEA has threatened to cease their work completely from 27th September if their demands are not met at the earliest.

“The discussion with the government was not up to our satisfaction. We don’t have any problems in our department. Our file is being returned by the Finance Department. Our protest will continue and we will only provide emergency services if our demands are not met. We will launch complete cease work from September 27,” said ONEA President Suchismita Dash.