Odisha’s VIMSAR Junior Docs suspend strike till April 30

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Sambalpur, Apr 1: 

Hours after resuming the cease work agitation, Junior Doctor Association (JDA) of Odisha’s Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) today suspended their strike till April 30.

“We held a discussion with the Medical Superintendent and the Director. They have assured us that the government is working on our demands. We are suspending the strike till April 30 as a mark of respect for the Healthy Secretary and to ensure that the healthcare services do not get affected in VIMSAR. However, we would resume the strike, if the government fails to fulfil our demands by that time,” said JDA President Shankar Ramchandani.

Earlier in the day, VIMSAR superintendent LK Dash had urged the students to resume work and assured that their demands are being fulfilled.

“Some of the demands have been fulfilled and we are working on the others. The MRI machine would be set up by last week of April. The financial and administrative powers have been delegated to VIMSAR already and work is going on for round-the-clock water and electricity supply,” VIMSAR Director Sunamali Bag had said.

“If improvement of healthcare services is the main agenda, it can’t be achieved by staying away from work. I call upon the agitating students to resume work. Meanwhile, we have cancelled leaves of all doctors and other employees to ensure that the patients do not get affected because of the strike,” he had added.

Notably, the JDA had taken to the strike route between January 12 and 21 to press for their demands. The strike, however, was called off after Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak assured to look into the matter.

Their demands include installation of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine, delegation of financial and administrative power to VIMSAR, shifting of female medicine ward to a new building, strengthening of security on the medical college premises, round-the-clock water and electricity supply at the operation theatre, a labour room, a sick newborn care unit (SNCU), an intensive care unit (ICU), a new medicine ward, a canteen, hostels, an increase in library fund, recruitment of staff for the library, filling up of vacant teaching and non-teaching posts, and improvement in the sanitary condition of the institute.