Odisha Bans Strike by Medical Staff for Six Months by Exercising ESMA

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has banned any kind of strike or cease-work agitation by the staff of the health sector in the state for six months.

Exercising the power conferred by the Odisha Essential Services (Maintenance) Act 1988, the state government has prohibited strikes by the nurses, paramedics, technicians and other Class-III and Class-IV employees of the Health department for six months. As per this notification of the State Home Department, this ban order also encompasses the contractual employees.

According to the Home Department, this ban order on strikes is meant to ensure uninterrupted health services at government-run medical colleges and hospitals, District Headquarters Hospitals (DHHs), Sub-Divisional Hospitals, Community Health Centres (CHCs), primary health centres (PHCs), municipality hospitals, ESI hospitals, jail hospitals, police hospitals and autonomous health institutions including AHRCC and Regional Spinal Injury Centre in the state.