Odisha govt: Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Sept 27: In response to a two-day strike by nursing officers advocating for their 10-point charter of demands, the Odisha government has announced the formation of an inter-departmental committee to address the issues raised by the Odisha Nursing Employees’ Association (ONEA).
The key demands include the promotion of nurses, taking into account six years of contractual service for those appointed before November 2013, establishing a seniority-based cadre system, revising the dress code, halting contractual appointments via outsourcing agencies, and returning nurses from community health officer (CHO) positions at Ayushman Arogya centres to government hospitals.
The Health Department issued a statement on Thursday, acknowledging the situation caused by the ongoing strike. Following a high-level meeting to discuss ONEA’s demands, the decision to create the committee was made. The statement urged the agitating nursing officers to consider the critical healthcare needs of the community and to return to their duties immediately.
Previously, discussions between ONEA and Health Secretary Aswathy S were inconclusive, as the association insisted on the establishment of a high-powered committee to address their demands favorably.
