Bhubaneswar: Doctors on Saturday called off their four-day cease-work protest after the state govt assured them that their grievances would be addressed. The govt has constituted a committee to examine their key demands, including better pay, enhanced service benefits and improved promotional avenues, paving the way for resumption of normal healthcare services across the state.Health minister Mukesh Mahaling said he held discussions with executive body members of the Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA) here on Saturday on the doctors’ demands. “Health and family welfare department secretary and directors of the department were present, along with around 15 OMSA members. The meeting was fruitful,” he said.Mahaling said detailed discussions were held between department officials and OMSA delegates on the agitating doctors’ 10-point charter of demands. “A unanimous decision was taken to call off the ongoing doctors’ strike in the state,” he said.The minister said a high-power committee would be formed to re-examine OMSA’s demands in detail and suggest ways to implement the decisions in the coming days. “The committee, led by the finance secretary, will have the secretaries of departments, including health, law and general administration, as members,” he said.He said the first meeting of the high-power committee would be held on July 22, when OMSA delegates would make a detailed presentation before it. “I hope this fruitful discussion will bring good news for patient services in the state,” he said.The three-hour discussion ended the deadlock over the doctors’ demands. Official sources said healthcare services at govt hospitals would return to normal after the doctors resumed duty.OMSA president Dr Kishore Chandra Mishra said the discussions were fruitful. “We will make a presentation before the high-power committee and are hopeful that our demands will be resolved. We always want improvement in healthcare services in the state. We hope the govt will resolve the issues within the next two months,” he said.Mishra, on behalf of the OMSA action committee, said the association had called off the strike and doctors would join duty from Saturday.The cease-work protest began on July 1, National Doctors’ Day, and continued till Saturday afternoon. Patients faced inconvenience as doctors did not attend OPD, IPD and emergency services at PHCs, CHCs, SDHs and DHHs across the state.Many patients struggled to get treatment in govt hospitals. Medical colleges and hospitals witnessed higher footfall than usual, while several patients turned to private hospitals and clinics for treatment.
