Defying relentless monsoon showers, hundreds of Swasthya Mitras — the dedicated community health workers who have quietly supported patients across Odisha’s government and private hospitals for the past eight years — turned the capital’s roads into a powerful stage of protest today.
With infants in their laps and umbrellas offering little protection against the downpour, the women-led demonstration, organised by the All Odisha Swasthya Mitra Association, brought traffic to a standstill as protesters sat in dharna on PMG Road, their voices cutting through the rain with chants demanding an end to retrenchment and immediate permanent appointments in the health department.
The urgency is personal and stark. Last month, the workers received termination notices effective June 30. After nearly a decade of service helping patients in rural health centres and hospitals, many now face an uncertain future for themselves and their families. “We have worked for 8 years… if they retrench us now, what will we do? How will our families survive?” the protesters asked.
The protest gained extra emotional weight when it emerged that Health Minister Dr Mukesh Mahaling had reportedly told a delegation of the mitras, “You go and do agitation, then we’ll see.” Far from discouraging them, the remark appears to have hardened their resolve.
Key demands include:
- Immediate withdrawal of all retrenchment notices
- Permanent appointment in the health department
- Formal recognition of their role and dignified working conditions
- Job security and other service benefits
Despite the rain making the protest physically exhausting, the determination remained unbroken. Some protesters symbolically held plates as if begging for jobs, while others lay on the wet road in silent appeal. Men joined their female colleagues in equal numbers, creating a united front of nearly a thousand Swasthya Mitras.
Association President Ritajali Behera highlighted their contribution: “Swasthya Mitras play an extremely important role in the state’s rural areas and health centres. But because of the retrenchment system, their lives have become uncertain.” She warned that the agitation would continue and that stricter measures would be taken if the government failed to address their demands.
The massive sit-in disrupted traffic in the capital and drew crowds on both sides of the road. Health experts have expressed concern that prolonged unrest could affect healthcare delivery, especially in rural areas where these workers have been a vital support system.
The association is now preparing for talks with health department officials while vowing to sustain pressure until their core demands are met.
