Bhubaneswar: Health & Family Welfare Department, Government of Odisha has initiated stringent disciplinary action against medical professionals participating in the ongoing statewide health services boycott. In an official directive issued on July 2, 2026, the department ordered authorities to withhold the salaries of striking government medical officers and warned that contractual doctors who continue to remain absent from duty could face termination.
According to the government, members of the Odisha Medical Services Association, doctors belonging to the OMHS Cadre, and several contractual medical officers began a statewide boycott on July 1, 2026. The administration stated that the strike violates the provisions of the Odisha Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1988, which is currently in force following a notification issued earlier this year by the Home Department.
The government said the boycott has significantly disrupted the delivery of essential healthcare services, depriving the public of critical medical care. It described the strike as gross misconduct, alleging that it breaches Rules 3 and 4 of the Orissa Government Servants’ Conduct Rules, 1959, in addition to violating OESMA.
In response, the Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the department has directed all medical directors, deans of government medical colleges, and other health authorities to immediately stop the salaries of non-performing OMHS Cadre officers until further orders. The directive also instructs authorities to initiate the process of terminating contractual doctors who continue to participate in the strike after being served due notice.
The move reflects the Odisha government’s firm position on maintaining uninterrupted healthcare services and signals a zero-tolerance approach toward unauthorized work stoppages that affect public welfare and access to essential medical care.
