Govt hospitals halt non-emergency services nationwide

KATHMANDU: Resident doctors across Nepal have shut down all non-emergency services in government hospitals on Friday, demanding a monthly allowance equivalent to the government’s eighth-level salary scale.

The protest, initiated under the call of the Nepal Medical Association (NMA), led to the suspension of outpatient department (OPD) services in government hospitals, health science academies, and medical colleges nationwide.

NMA Chair Dr. Anil Bikram Karki had issued a press release Thursday evening, urging doctors to halt all services except emergencies.

According to the NMA, most government hospitals, medical colleges, and even some private hospitals saw service disruptions.

Patients visiting OPDs were forced to return without treatment.

Major hospitals in Kathmandu Valley, including Bir Hospital, were also unable to operate OPD services. Many doctors from the Valley participated in a sit-in protest at Maitighar.

Resident doctors have been staging protests for the past month, demanding their subsistence allowance.

The Nepal Medical Association extended its solidarity with the movement, causing a wider impact on healthcare services nationwide.

Although the Medical Education Commission had decided to provide a monthly allowance of Rs 48,500 to resident doctors from mid-Falgun, private medical colleges have refused to implement the decision.

The Private Medical Colleges Association claimed that providing the allowance would result in financial losses.