Patients left waiting: Odisha doctors continue their 2-hour OPD shutdown over pending demands

Odisha on Tuesday witnessed a statewide two-hour OPD strike by government doctors, who protested against long-pending demands. Outpatient services were suspended across government hospitals from 9 am to 11 am, causing inconvenience to patients, many of whom were seen waiting outside medical facilities.

The protest, led by the Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA), has been ongoing since December 26 and revolves around ten key demands. Among the primary issues are the provision of DSC posts at the central level, restructuring of the dental cadre, and enhancement of post-mortem allowances.

During the strike, patients were unable to receive consultations or treatment at OPD counters, causing significant inconvenience to those seeking medical care. Relatives and attendants had to wait for hours as hospitals remained partially non-functional.

“Multiple discussions were held over our demands. Many committees were formed before. But it has yielded no results. We need a written reply, or CM should call us for discussion,” said a protesting doctor.

The Health Department has already formed a committee to review the demands, and officials stated that discussions are ongoing to resolve the issues amicably. In light of the government’s assurance, the Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling has requested doctors to resume regular duties and avoid disruption of services.

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“Any matter can be solved through discussions across the table. So, I request once again to come forward and initiate discussions. Doctors are next to God. So, I request them to respect their profession and engage in patient treatment.” Mahaling said.