Odisha’s healthcare system under duress as nursing officers cease work

Bhubaneswar, Sept 28: The ongoing strike by nursing officers in Odisha has severely disrupted healthcare services, particularly impacting the Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar and SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. The agitation, led by the Odisha Nursing Employees’ Association (ONEA), began on Friday in support of a 10-point charter of demands, which includes the regularization of contractual staff and the abolition of the outsourcing system.

Around 15,000 nurses from state-run medical colleges, district hospitals, and various healthcare facilities have joined the strike, resulting in a significant crisis within the healthcare system.

At Capital Hospital, a key medical institution in the state, the situation is dire, with 131 out of 181 nursing staff on strike, leaving just 50 nurses to handle patient care. This shortage has forced the hospital to turn away patients, delay non-emergency surgeries, and restrict admissions to emergencies only. Hospital authorities are now relying on pharmacists and trainee nurses to manage patient care. While emergency surgical services remain operational, elective surgeries have been suspended, and critical patients are being redirected to private hospitals for treatment.