KATHMANDU: The government and Nepal Medical Association (NMA) have reached an agreement, bringing an end to the nationwide protest by doctors.
The breakthrough came following a meeting held Tuesday evening at the Ministry of Health and Population.
The talks involved key government officials including Health Minister Pradeep Paudel, Law Minister Ajay Chaurasiya, and Industry Minister Damodar Bhandari, alongside representatives from the NMA.
As per the agreement, the NMA has withdrawn all protest programs that had been announced earlier. The doctors had halted all health services, except emergency care, across the country starting Monday, expressing strong dissatisfaction with recent verdicts issued by the Consumer Court.
The NMA had argued that the Consumer Court’s rulings on medical negligence encroached upon the jurisdiction of the Nepal Medical Council (NMC), which regulates medical practice in the country. Doctors also demanded amendments to the Consumer Protection Act and certain provisions of the Criminal Code.
The protest was sparked by recent Consumer Court decisions ordering hefty compensation in cases of alleged medical negligence.
These included a directive for Om Hospital to pay Rs 5.07 million, Himal Hospital and involved doctors to pay Rs 14.5 million, and Grande City Hospital and its doctors to pay Rs 5.7 million to the families of affected patients.
Doctors across Nepal took to protest, saying the verdicts unfairly penalized medical professionals and undermined their ability to work without fear of legal reprisal. With Tuesday’s agreement, medical services across the country are expected to return to normal.
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