Bhubaneswar, July 4: In a major relief to the patients across the State, the indefinite strike by the Odisha Medical Service Association (OMSA), a body of Government doctors, has been put on hold after a discussion with Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Mukesh Mahaling on Saturday.

The strike was called off following an assurance that a Committee of Secretaries will be constituted to address the doctors’ long-pending demands.

The committee will examine and resolve the demands in a time-bound manner.

The protesting doctors are expected to resume normal OPD, IPD and other healthcare services very soon.

The strike, launched by the OMSA on July 1 coinciding the National Doctors’ Day, continued to disrupt healthcare services across Government health establishments in the State.

The Health and Family Welfare Department on Thursday ordered immediate withholding of salaries for those who have abandoned patient care.

The OMSA resorted to the agitation demanding fulfillment of their 10-point charter of demands that include implementation of the dynamic assured career progression (DACP) scheme as per the central pay structure from the date of eligibility, proportionate cadre restructuring, incremental incentives for super specialty, specialists, diploma holders and administrators, postmortem allowance, implementation of three-year exist policy in KBK and TSP areas, and strengthening of safety and security measures including revision of Odisha Medicare Act, among others.

Yesterday, the Health Department had called for a meeting with representatives of OMSA on Saturday to discuss their demands.