BHUBANESWAR: Government doctors of the state on Sunday threatened to tender mass resignation if their seven-point charter of demands, including dynamic assured career progression (DACP) and salary on par with central pay scale, are not fulfilled within a month.
The doctors under Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA) alleged that despite several rounds of talks with the state government over their demands, no concrete steps have been taken so far.
Addressing mediapersons here, OMSA president Dr Kishore Chandra Misra said, timely DACP is of paramount importance and 18 states have already implemented it except Odisha and a few others. Delays in holding departmental promotion committee meetings and DACP have led to frustration and de-motivation among doctors, causing unnecessary administrative and professional hurdles, he added.
“The state government should strictly follow the guidelines set under the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) while ensuring timely promotions and career progression for all doctors and dental surgeons. Ad hoc period of service must be included while awarding DACP,” he said.
The association further demanded to restructure the OMHS cadre and dental surgeons to create more posts. The lack of a streamlined and progressive cadre restructuring system has led to a stagnation in career progression, job satisfaction, and overall healthcare delivery, it said.
Other demands included health insurance for all doctors, transfer of doctors to their areas of choice after completion of their KBK postings, post-graduation incentives for dental surgeons and performance appraisal of doctors by the director of health services instead of chief district medical officers (CDMOs).
OMSA general secretary Dr Sanjib Kumar Pradhan said, despite their selfless service, doctors lack adequate health insurance coverage. “We demand a comprehensive health insurance scheme for all OMSA cadre doctors, providing coverage for themselves and their families, in line with the benefits extended to other government employees. This is a basic right that should be given to those who work tirelessly keeping their own health at stake,” he pointed out.
Besides demanding better working conditions for doctors, the association urged the state government to take immediate steps to recruit more doctors and ensure that sufficient medical officers are available to meet the growing healthcare demands. “We would resign en masse if our demands are not fulfilled within a month,” the members threatened.