The Orissa government on Saturday threatened to arrest doctors under Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and cancel the MCI registration of government doctors if they went ahead with their proposed state-wide strike from Sunday. The Orissa Medical Services Association (OMSA),a body of government doctors last week announced that they would cease work from April 18 if Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP),a time-bound promotion scheme,. was not implemented. Though the state government last year promised us that a doctor would get at least three promotions during his career under the DACP. However,there are many doctors who have not even got a single promotion even as they have completed 20 years in service, said OMSA president Dr Madhusudan Mishra. "We had warned the state government and now we have no options left." he added. Health secretary(in-charge) Suresh Chandra Mohapatra told The Indian Express that under no circumstances would the State government tolerate the strike. "Since ESMA is in force,the doctors can't strike work. It is illegal. If they do then they would be liable for prosecution with imprisonment upto 6 months and monetary penalty upto Rs 500," Mohapatra said. He said the doctors have no reason to strike as a ministerial committee has been formed to look into the demands of doctors including implementation of the Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) to ensure time-bound promotion. The committee will have to examine a number of issues while preparing the report. It has to study the process of implementation of DACP in States like Bihar and Tamil Nadu,where it has been implemented. The health secretary said he has been given to understand that 70-80 per cent of the 2500-odd government doctors in the State including the Chief District Medical Officers and Additional DMOs would not join the strike. "We are also getting doctors from outside. Leaves of all paramedical staff in government hospitals and primary health centres Mohapatra said the view of law department is being taken on whether the MCI registration of doctors can be cancelled if they go ahead with the strike. He also said that a contingency plan has already been prepared to meet any unforeseen situation. Retired doctors,Ayurvedic,Homeopathy and Ayush doctors would be deployed across the state,he said. Leave applications of all doctors and para-medical staffs have been cancelled. The health secretary said he was expecting the doctors to come for a last minute discussions with him this afternoon. To break the doctors' resolve,the State government has already transferred 159 doctors and filed a caveat in the Orissa High Court.
