The Mohan Majhi government on Tuesday imposed the Odisha Essential Services (Maintenance) Act 1988, to prohibit strikes by doctors, nurses and paramedics across all government and grant-in-aid health institutions in the State.
The order, issued by the Home (Special Section) Department, bans any form of cessation of work in medical services, effective from January 6, 2026.
The order came in the wake of a two-hour ceasework by doctors at the outpatient department demanding salaries based on the Central pay structure.
In order to ensure that health care delivery system in the State is not affected or disrupted, the Home Department said the ESMA is applicable to health professionals posted in district headquarters hospitals, sub- divisional hospitals, area hospitals, community health centre, primary health centres and municipality hospitals including medical colleges and hospitals run by government and other autonomous health institutions receiving grant-in aid from the State government.
“In exercise of the power conferred by sub-section (1) of Section-3 read with Section-2 of the Odisha Essential Services (Maintenance) Act 1988 (Odisha Act 9 of 1992), the State government do hereby prohibit strikes in the aforesaid services. The order shall remain in force for a period of six months with effect from the date of issue,” the Home Department said.
