KATHMANDU: The government has formed a 14-member committee to address the ongoing protests by nursing health workers over inadequate remuneration.
The committee is headed by Prof. Dr. Shree Krishna Shrestha, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Population.
Nurses working in private hospitals and medical colleges across the country have been staging protests, demanding fair pay. In response, Prime Minister Sushila Karki held discussions with the Ministry of Health last Thursday and instructed officials to resolve the issue without delay.
According to Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Bikash Devkota, the committee will hold its first meeting today. “With the Tihar holiday starting tomorrow and many staff on leave, there is a shortage of manpower. We are trying to reach an agreement today and urge the nurses to return to work,” said Dr. Devkota.
The committee has been tasked with submitting its initial report within a week and will recommend both immediate and long-term solutions.
Members of the committee include Dr. Anup Bastola, head of the Grievance Redressal Unit at the Ministry of Health; the Director of the Medical Education Commission; the Head of the Nursing and Social Security Division of the Department of Health Services; and representatives from the Ministries of Home Affairs, Finance, Labor, and Education.
Also included are representatives from the Nepal Nursing Council, Nepal Nursing Association, Nepal Medical and Dental Colleges Association, the Association of Private Health Institutions of Nepal (AFIN), and delegates from the protesting nurses. The head of the Medical Services, Education, and Research Branch of the Health Ministry will serve as the member secretary.
The nurses are demanding implementation of the government’s basic salary scale of Rs. 34,730, along with associated benefits, which many private institutions have yet to provide.
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