Bhubaneswar: As the Odisha Nursing Employees’ Association (ONEA) have called a two-day ceasework protest from Wednesday due to non-consideration of their demands, the Director of Nursing, Tuesday directed the heads of all the state-run healthcare facilities to take action against the nursing officers as Odisha Essential Services (Maintenance) Act 1988 is still in force. The letter issued by Director of Nursing Artabandhu Nayak said, “As per the power conferred by Section 3 and Section 2 of the ESMA in interest of public, the state government prohibits strikes in form of cessation of work by nurses paramedics, technicians and other Class III and Class IV employees and the order remains in force for a period of six months with effect from the date of issuance of the order (August 7, 2024).” Earlier, the ONEA, in a letter addressed to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, September 18, mentioned about an indefinite ceasework call by all nursing officers in government hospitals from September 27. As per the plan, non-emergency services will be ceased September 25 and 26.
Thereafter, all non-emergency and emergency services will be halted from September 27 for an indefinite period. The association demanded promotion of eligible nursing officers to the post of senior nursing officer and assistant nursing superintendent by way of relaxation of residency period, recruitment against the post of community health officers under National Health Mission (NHM), reverting the regular nursing officers to their parent cadre and regularisation of left-out contractual nursing officers. The state government enforced ESMA last month after the ONEA threatened to go for a cease work August 27 to join the nationwide protests by health professionals over the brutal rape and murder of a medico at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP