Bhubaneswar: The government on Tuesday imposed a six-month ban on strikes by medical and support staff across all state-run health facilities, citing the need to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services.
An order issued by the Home (Special Section) Department stated that stoppage of work by doctors, nursing staff, pharmacists, paramedics, laboratory technicians, and Class-III & Class-IV employees, including contractual workers, could disrupt essential medical care across the state.
The notification covers all government-run hospitals and dispensaries, including district headquarters hospitals, sub-divisional facilities, area hospitals, and community health centres. The restriction also applies to municipal and autonomous institutions receiving state support, such as medical colleges, the Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre,the Regional Spinal Injury Centre, police hospitals, and jail hospitals.
The directive was issued by invoking powers under Section 3 and Section 2 of the Odisha Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1988, under which the state can prohibit strikes in vital services to prevent disruption.
The order will remain in force for six months from the date of issue and has been forwarded for publication in the Odisha Gazette. Officials have been instructed to ensure the wide circulation of the notification.
