KATHMANDU: Doctors serving as interns, medical officers, and resident physicians staged a protest at Maitighar Mandala on Saturday, alleging severe labor exploitation in hospitals and demanding immediate reforms to their working conditions.
The demonstration was organized by the Struggle Committee Against Labor Exploitation of Young and Trainee Doctors.
Protesters called for the duty hours of trainee doctors, including interns and resident physicians, to be regulated in accordance with Nepal’s Labour Act, 2017. They demanded that working hours be capped at a maximum of 12 hours per day and 72 hours per week, with at least one mandatory day off each week.
The doctors also urged authorities to provide overtime pay, as required by the Labour Act, for work exceeding 48 hours per week.
In addition, the protesters demanded the implementation of the salary increase announced by the government through the national budget and the provision of remuneration for resident doctors equivalent to that of an Eighth-Level Officer, in line with previous agreements.
They also called for the removal of the mandatory one-year work experience requirement for MBBS and BDS graduates before they can enroll in postgraduate programs such as MD, MS, and MDS.
The protesting doctors warned that they would continue their movement until their demands are addressed.
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