Odisha Junior Doctors End Strike After Government Promises Safe Work Policy

Bhubaneswar: Junior doctors in Odisha have decided to end their strike and return to their duties by midnight today, following a commitment from the State government to implement a new policy aimed at ensuring a safe work environment in healthcare facilities.

The resolution came after a meeting led by the Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Health and Family Welfare on Friday. The meeting saw representatives from the Junior Doctors Association (JDA) of SCB Medical College and Hospital (MCH), Cuttack, participating in person, while those from MKCG MCH, VIMSAR Burla, and PGIMER joined virtually.

During the meeting, the junior doctors strongly condemned the recent violent incident at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, which had sparked their protest. The JDA representatives acknowledged the Orissa Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2008, but urged the government to establish a more comprehensive policy to ensure safety and security for medical professionals in Odisha.

In response to their demands, the government assured that a new policy to provide a safer working environment would be introduced soon. Additionally, the government agreed to count the protest period, from 15 August 2024 until the present date, as official duty time, on the condition that the junior doctors return to their regular duties by the end of today.

With these assurances in place, the junior doctors and medical students have committed to resuming their responsibilities, effectively bringing an end to the strike and returning to their roles in patient care and emergency services.