Bhubaneswar, Dec. 26 -- Outpatient department (OPD) services remained suspended for one hour across government hospitals in Odisha on Friday as doctors launched a statewide protest demanding urgent filling up of vacant posts and implementation of long-pending service-related reforms.

The protest, led by the Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA), marked the beginning of a phased agitation, with doctors staying away from OPD services between 10 am and 11 am.

While doctors clarified that emergency services remained fully operational during the protest period, the one-hour OPD shutdown caused inconvenience to patients at several hospitals, with many seen waiting outside consultation rooms.

OMSA said the agitation was triggered by what...