Odisha Government Doctors Call Off Strike After Assurances on Safety, Pay

The Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA), the largest association of government doctors in the state, has called off its strike following assurances from the Mohan Majhi government. The strike, which began on July 4, 2026, was launched to demand better service conditions and workplace safety.

OMSA general secretary Sanjib Kumar Pradhan said that a delegation met Odisha Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling and had a constructive discussion. The government agreed to form a committee within three days to deliberate on all 10 demands. 'The OMSA will make detailed representations on each demand before the committee and explain why they are necessary,' Dr. Pradhan said.

Among the key demands were the implementation of Dynamic Assured Career Progression as per the central pay structure, abolition of Level 15 pay for Class I officers, and rectification of the cadre's pay structure without pre-conditions. The doctors also demanded a three-year exit policy for postings in backward and tribal regions, construction of Capital Hospital II, and cadre restructuring for the Odisha Medical and Health Services.

Other demands included incremental incentives for super specialists and specialists, regular recruitment through the Odisha Public Service Commission, strict implementation of the Odisha Medicare Act with non-bailable warrants against offenders, deployment of armed security personnel and police outposts in all health institutions, and regularisation of ad-hoc doctors.

The government immediately agreed to hike remunerations for dental doctors and assured that other demands would be taken up in a time-bound manner. The strike had severely affected health services across Odisha, with hundreds of patients queuing up at hospitals and post-mortems being suspended due to the absence of doctors.