Odisha Govt Issues guidelines allowing compensatory off-days to doctors

Bhubaneswar: Doctors working in government-run health facilities can henceforth avail of compensatory off-days, a notification issued by the Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) department today mentioned.

The H&FW department came up with a transparent and uniform system for leave allocation amongst the medical officers under the OHMS cadre. Guidelines to this effect were issued by H&FW Secretary Shalini Pandit to all Medical and Public Health Officers/ Superintendents of Odisha district, sub-division, and community health facilities including Directors of Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH), Capital Hospital and BMC Hospital in Bhubaneswar.

The guideline stated that OHMS cadre officers who attend duty on a designated public holiday notified by the Government would be allowed to avail alternative off-days in the same month subject to the availability of human resources at the respective hospital. The Superintendent or Medical Officer-in-Charge of the health facility concerned would decide the required number of alternative off days.

However, while allowing alternative off-days, the Superintendent concerned would make adequate roster arrangements for ensuring smooth healthcare service to the people.

Further, H&FW Secretary Pandit clarified that alternative off-days would not be merged with casual leave or earned leave. The off-days admissible during a month also would not be carried over to the next month except when a public holiday comes in the last week of a month.

Notably, the Superintendent and Medical Officers in charge of various health facilities were directed to follow the guidelines scrupulously.

Click here to read the detailed notification.