Bhubaneswar, Nov. 7: The Orissa government today invoked the Essential Service Maintenance Act against 2,800 agitating doctors, dubbing their en masse resignation move as “illegal”.

The provisions of the Act will remain in force for the next six months.

Two days from now, all government hospitals in Orissa are likely to be manned by homeopath and ayurvedic doctors. Doctors from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka may be roped in to conduct surgeries. These are some of the contingency plans mulled by the government to take the agitating medicos by their horns.

The government and medicos have been at loggerheads ever since 2,800-odd doctors, registered under the Orissa Medical Services Association (Omsa), resigned en masse on Monday to protest against the dismissal of three doctors for

allegedly cutting of the palms of five tribals while performing autopsies in 2006.

The government today sent a clear message to the agitating doctors — that it was ready to face the situation. Health minister Sanatan Bisi said the government had accepted resignations of seven doctors and will act against others if they do not join work.

Omsa members, on their part, have accepted the government challenge. “We had tendered our resignation and if the government accepts it then that’s a consequence that we are ready to face. Doctors posted in remote areas have left hospitals and are heading towards Bhubaneswar to join our protest,” said Omsa president Madhusudan Mishra.

Doctors from public sector undertakings, CRPF and private hospitals would also be roped in to handle the situation. Also, newly appointed junior doctors, medical students and all contractual doctors and paramedical staff had been kept on alert, said the minister.

The state has directed collectors to ensure the strike does not affect health services. District superintendents of police have been instructed to arrest doctors who obstruct others from attending duty, Bisi said. The decision of seeking the help of “ayurveds” is the strangest, said Nihar Ranjan Samal questioning how surgeries will take place in the absence of surgeons.

Bhubaneswar’s Capital Hospital alone attends to more than 3,200 patients everyday with at least 15 general surgeries. Besides there are medico-legal cases such as post-mortems and national programmes.

“It will be a devastating mess,” warned Omsa members who have agreed for a dialogue with Naveen to resolve the deadlock.