Bhubaneswar: Protesting Junior doctors in Odisha have decided to call off their strike and resume duty before midnight today following assurance from the State government that a comprehensive policy to provide safe work environment will be notified soon.
The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Commissioner cum Secretary Health and Family Welfare on Friday which was attended by representatives of Junior Doctors Association (JDA).
While the representative of JDA of SCB MCH, Cuttack attended the meeting physically, the representatives of JDA /interns and medical students of MKCG MCH and VIMSAR Burla and PGIMER attended in virtual mode.
The meeting condemned the brutal incidence at RG Kar Medical College, Kolkata.
Representatives of the JDA appreciated “The Orissa Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention Of Violence And Damage To Property) Act, 2008”, they requested to take steps for making a policy for providing a safe work place environment in health institutions.
The representatives further requested that since, during the protest period, they were continuing attending to emergency duty and patient care, the protest period may be considered as duty period.
“After a detailed discussion, while condemning the brutal incidence at R G Kar Medical College, it was assured that a comprehensive policy to provide safe work environment will be notified by the Government soon. Further, if the protesting doctors and students rejoined their regular duties by end of day today, the period of protest from 15. August till date would be treated as duty period.
With this assurance, the protesting doctors and students assured that they will resume duty before the end of day i.e. 12.00 midnight of 23.08.2024,” reads the minutes of the meeting.
