Bhubaneswar, June 18 -- In a strong and decisive action aimed at enforcing accountability in the state's healthcare system, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi on Thursday directed the Health and Family Welfare Department to initiate disciplinary proceedings against doctors found guilty of prolonged absenteeism from duty.

According to official sources, as many as 128 Medical Officers and Dental Surgeons, posted across various government hospitals in Odisha, have been found to be unauthorisedly absent from service for more than five years. Their continued absence from duty has reportedly had a serious impact on healthcare delivery, particularly in rural and remote areas where government medical services are the primary source of treatment f...