Nurses across Nepal have been protesting nationwide on Wednesday, demanding a review of their salaries and allowances. The protests began from Manipal Hospital and Gandaki Hospital in Pokhara two weeks ago. In their support, nurses have been staging protests in major cities such as Pokhara, Biratnagar, Dhangadhi, and Kathmandu. The nurses have been wearing black armbands since October 21 to mark their dissatisfaction with hospital management.

 

 

Nurses working in private hospitals and medical institutions across Nepal suspended services for two hours on Wednesday from 10 am to 12 pm as a part of their ongoing agitation, demanding that their minimum salaries be implemented in line with government regulations. The Nursing Association of Nepal had put a 15-point charter of demands including fair wages, improved service conditions, and benefits for nurses employed in private healthcare facilities.

 

 

The Nurses Council demanded that nurses be paid under the Health Service Act rather than the Labour Act.

In response to the nurses’ demands, the Ministry of Health and Population has formed a task force to address their concerns. The task force is expected to submit its report on November 4 after which the association plans to announce its next round of protest programs.

 

 

The Ministry of Health and Population is to mobilize teams in all the seven provinces to deal with ongoing problems in the health sector due to agitating nurses. The teams will be deployed to study the issues faced by nursing staff regarding salary and benefits, the classification of those injured during the Gen-Z demonstrations, the status of the Gen-Z clinic operations, among other issues, and to identify options for solutions.