Bhubaneswar, July 3 -- The Odisha government on Friday appealed to the striking government doctors to immediately withdraw their indefinite agitation and resume duties in the interest of public healthcare, warning that continued absence from work would invite salary stoppage for regular doctors and termination of contractual doctors.
Health Department sources said the state government has invoked the provisions of the Odisha Essential Services (Maintenance) Act (OESMA), 1988, under a Home Department notification issued on January 6, 2026, which prohibits doctors and paramedical staff from resorting to strikes, as healthcare has been classified as an essential service.
The government urged the doctors, who have been on an indefinite strike...