Doctors threaten cease work agitation from Feb 1

BHUBANESWAR: Days after the state government hiked the salary of faculty members of medical colleges, Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA) on Wednesday threatened to launch a cease work agitation from February 1, demanding promotion and salary at par to Central pay scale.The state body of government doctors alleged that despite several rounds of talks with the state government over the demands of doctors, no step has been taken to fulfil the demands so far.

The doctors said they came forward to provide uninterrupted healthcare services during the Covid-19 pandemic by putting their lives at risk. Though four health secretaries have served the department in last three years and held talks with OMSA four times, the demands continued to remain unfulfilled. Addressing mediapersons here, OMSA president Dr Narayan Rout said the state government has failed to implement dynamic assured career progression (DACP) for the doctors.

The Central government had approved DACP for doctors and scientists as per the sixth pay commission’s recommendations in 2006. Though 18 states have implemented it as promoted doctors at fourth, ninth, 13th and 20th year, the Odisha government introduced a promotion scheme in the guise of DACP to promote doctors at seventh, 14th and 21st year, which is why several young professionals are not interested to join the state cadre, he pointed out.The association also demanded to restructure the Odisha Medical and Health Services (OMHS) cadre and create more posts.