Odisha doctors call of strike after government assurances

The Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA), Odisha’s largest association of government doctors, called off strike which was launched demanding better service conditions and workplace safety following assurance from the Mohan Majhi Government on Saturday (July 4, 2026).

“We met Odisha Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling and had a very constructive discussion. The government assured us to form a committee within three days to deliberate on all our 10 demands, said OMSA general secretary Sanjib Kumar Pradhan.

Dr. Pradhan said, “the OMSA will make detail representations on each demand before the committee and explain why is it necessary.” The government said remunerations of dental doctors would be hiked immediately and other demands will be taken up in a time-bound manner, he said

The OMSA has demanded Dynamic Assured Career Progression, as per the central pay structure, from the date of eligibility, with rectification of the cadre’s pay structure and abolition of Level 15, in line with other Class I officers under the Odisha government, without any pre-conditions.

Implementation of a three-year exit policy in backward and tribal regions, construction of Capital Hospital II, Odisha Medical and Health Services (OMHS) cadres only for the benefit of people, as per the requirement of expanding Bhubaneswar, were among the foremost demands.

The other demands include proportionate cadre restructuring of all grades, incremental incentive for super specialists and specialists, diploma, administrators and post-mortem allowance, regular yearly Odisha Public Service Commission, strict implementation with revision of the Odisha Medicare Act with non-bailable warrant against offenders, deployment of armed security personnel and police outpost inside all health institutions and regularisation of ad-hoc doctors.

Due to the doctors’ strike, the health service has been crippled across the State. Almost all hospitals across Odisha were affected, with hundreds of people queuing up to avail services. Even post-mortems of dead persons could not be performed in the absence of doctors.