Bhubaneswar, 07 January (H.S.) : Doctors across Odisha on Wednesday went ahead with a two-hour suspension of Outpatient Department (OPD) services, defying the Odisha government’s decision to invoke the Odisha Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1988 (ESMA) to prohibit the strike.

Despite the ESMA being enforced in the interest of public welfare, the Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA) continued its agitation, enforcing a statewide OPD boycott from 9 am to 11 am. The protest is part of an ongoing movement by government doctors demanding the implementation of their 10-point charter of demands.

The disruption of OPD services caused considerable hardship to patients, especially those from rural and remote areas who rely heavily on government healthcare facilities for routine medical consultations.

The state government had invoked ESMA on Tuesday, making it illegal to disrupt essential medical services. The Act prohibits any strike or agitation that hampers emergency healthcare delivery. While emergency services were reported to be functioning normally, routine OPD services remained affected during the protest period.

OMSA has asserted that the agitation will continue despite the government’s action and reiterated that the protest will not be withdrawn until their demands are met. The OPD shutdown has drawn criticism for its adverse impact on regular healthcare services across the state.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda