Over 900 Swasthya Mitras protest in Bhubaneswar, demand reinstatement

Bhubaneswar, June 22 (IANS) More than 900 Swasthya Mitras on Monday staged a protest at Lower PMG in the state capital after abruptly losing their jobs, demanding that the Odisha government reinstate them immediately.

Rupesh Rout, Vice President of the All Odisha Swasthya Mitra Association, expressed distress over the sudden termination of their services via an outsourcing agency notice earlier this month.

He told media persons, “We have dedicated eight years of hard work to ensuring that the government’s healthcare benefits reach the grassroots level. Suddenly, the outsourcing agency served us a termination notice. When we approached senior officials, we received no satisfactory answer.”

He added that if private hospitals appoint their own staff to oversee health cards, transparency would be compromised, and poor patients might not get the justice and care they deserve.

“We urge the government to hold talks with us, understand the ground reality, and reinstate us to our positions immediately,” he said.

The association has stated that the protest will continue until the government reviews the decision and provides an official assurance regarding their employment. The opposition Congress and Biju Janata Dal also joined the protestors, voicing support for the demands made by the association.

Swasthya Mitras are outsourced workers engaged through service providers by the State Health Assurance Society (SHAS) to assist beneficiaries availing treatment under the state’s health insurance schemes. They help with registration, verification, documentation and access to cashless treatment.

In December 2025, the state government approved the redesignation of 1,009 Swasthya Mitras as Pradhan Mantri Arogya Mitras following the integration of Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) with Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (GJAY).

Last month, the Swasthya Mitras received an email from their service provider informing them that the contract awarded to the private agency by SHAS for their engagement under GJAY would expire on June 30, 2026, and their services would end on the same date.

--IANS

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