Subhas Chandra Pattanayak
Association of Orissa Doctors (OMSA) has withdrawn its proposed strike call this late evening though for face saving it has termed the withdrawal as postponement.
OMSA sensed that the peoples of Orissa were not to support Doctors in wrecking havoc with human lives. It was desperately seeking a way to escape public wrath even as resignation papers of seven of the Doctors, specifically of the leaders of OMSA were accepted by the administrative department and forwarded to the CM for approval. Repressive Law:The Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) was invoked and District Collectors were instructed to start penal prosecution against Doctors who would be found absent from workplace on 9th.
The Association became the source of embarrassment to Government Doctors many of whom were not in favor of abandonment of duty.
OMSA office bearers used the Director of Health Services to prevail upon the CM to have a talk with them and finally, with no assurance that could be termed as new to what the health minister had given, it announced the so-called postponement after the organized meeting.