Odisha doctors boycott OPD for two hours to demand Central pay scale

Hundreds of doctors in government hospitals and medical facilities across Odisha boycotted outpatient (OPD) services for two hours from 9 to 11 a.m. on Monday (January 5, 2026), demanding salaries based on the Central pay structure.

Patient care was affected, and the situation could worsen if the government fails to address our charter of demands, the Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA) has warned.

“Governments in nearly 20 states have started paying their doctors’ salaries in line with the Central pay structure. The Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) scheme has also been implemented in several states. However, successive governments in Odisha, including the previous Naveen Patnaik government, used delaying tactics and avoided granting doctors the salary structure they are entitled to,” OMSA president Kishore Chandra Mishra said.

Disheartened doctors are leaving

“Disheartened by the low salary structure, government doctors are switching to the private sector, pushing the public health system towards a crisis. We have held talks with the Government five to six times, but it has become evident that there is no serious intent to address our demands,” Dr. Mishra added.

Over 6,000 doctors at 32 hospitals in district headquarters, 300 community health centres, and other primary health centres are taking part in the doctors’ strike.

The OMSA president said the association’s Central Executive Committee would meet on January 15 to assess their protest. “If the Government remains adamant, doctors would be forced to take stringent steps.”

The OMSA has placed a comprehensive charter of demands before the State government, focusing on pay parity, career progression, cadre restructuring, and workplace safety.

At the core of the demands is the implementation of the DACP scheme in line with the Central government pay structure from the date of eligibility, without any preconditions, along with the abolition of Level 15 for doctors, as already followed for other Class-I officers in Odisha.

Cadre restructuring

OMSA has also sought proportionate cadre restructuring across all grades, incremental incentives for super-specialists, specialists, diploma holders, and administrators, post-mortem allowances, and parity in performance-based incentives (PBI). The association has further demanded the extension of DACP, specialist allowance, cadre restructuring, and PBI benefits to dental cadres.

Beyond pay and career issues, OMSA has raised concerns over manpower shortages, service conditions, and safety. The association has called for the implementation of a three-year exit policy for doctors posted in KBK (Koraput-Balangir-Kalahandi) region, KBK+ and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) areas, regular annual recruitment through the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC), and timely Departmental Promotion Committees (DPCs).

It has also demanded the construction of a Capital Hospital-II exclusively for the Odisha Medical Health Services cadre to meet the healthcare needs of the growing population of Bhubaneswar.

Emphasising safety, OMSA has sought strict implementation and revision of the Odisha Medicare Act, 2008, including non-bailable provisions against offenders, round-the-clock armed security, and police outposts in all health institutions.

Other demands include the regularisation of ad hoc doctors, recognition of ad hoc and contractual service for DACP eligibility, and comprehensive health insurance coverage for all healthcare personnel.