Doctors call off protest in Nepal

Doctors in Nepal have ended their protest after reaching an agreement with the government on Tuesday evening. The meeting was held at the Ministry of Health and Population and resulted in a three-point deal. One of the key decisions was to form a three-member task force to study the demands of the Nepal Medical Association (NMA).

The task force will be led by the head of the Supply Management and Consumer Protection Division under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies. It will include joint-secretary level representatives from the Ministry of Law and the Ministry of Health. The task force will study legal and policy matters and submit a report with recommendations within seven days.

Ministers from health, law, and supplies, along with NMA representatives and other related officials, participated in the discussion.

NMA president Dr. Anil Bikram Karki said the task force will focus on issues such as the Consumer Protection Act 2075. If the doctors are satisfied with the report, the government has agreed to begin the process of legal amendments through fast-track approval within 11 days.

The agreement also mentions that the NMA and other involved groups will stop all protests and resume regular medical services immediately.

The protest started after a consumer court ordered hospitals and doctors to pay compensation in three cases, citing medical negligence. Doctors have been demanding that such cases be handled by the Nepal Medical Council instead, and that the law be changed.

Patients face hardship during strike

Even though the protest has now ended, it caused a lot of problems for patients across the country. Hospitals had shut down outpatient services (OPDs) for two days, except for emergency care.

In Kathmandu, many people were affected. Ramkumari from Janakpur came to Gangalal Hospital for a follow-up after heart surgery. She didn’t know about the protest and got stuck in Kathmandu with her husband, unsure of when services would resume.

Parbati Devi from Nawalpur also came for a checkup and planned to return home the same day. But due to the OPD closure, she had to stay longer. “We didn’t know the hospital was closed. Now we’re stuck and don’t even have enough money for food or lodging,” she said.

Gamhira Paswan from Birgunj came to Kathmandu on a doctor’s advice for heart-related issues. He completed blood tests and echo, but had to wait two days just to meet a doctor. “If someone could just look at my report, I could go home,” he said.

Lalita Suhel from Hetauda also came to Gangalal Hospital after having trouble breathing and chest pain. She stayed in a hotel for two nights and eventually had to go stay with relatives due to lack of money.

At Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj, 82-year-old Ram Bahadur Sunar from Tanahun came for a regular checkup but had to return without treatment. “We came a long way, but the hospital is closed. It’s very hard for people like us,” he said.

Khit Bahadur Pandey from Ramechhap stood outside the hospital on crutches. He had leg surgery a few months ago and came to remove his plaster and show reports. But all services were stopped. “It’s hard to move around with a broken leg. If someone could just check my report, it would be a relief,” he said.

Vinita Devi Chaudhary from Kailali, who has blood cancer, also suffered. She has been receiving treatment at Patan Hospital for five years and needs regular medicine. With services closed, she had to return home. “My medicine is finished. We can’t afford private hospitals. This strike only brought us trouble,” she said.

Srijana Rajopadhyay from Patan Dhoka is nine months pregnant and has diabetes. She came to the hospital for a checkup and to get admitted, but was turned away because the OPD was closed. “They said I needed to complete insurance forms in the OPD. I had to return without treatment,” she said.

Keshari Maya Awale, 70, from Bhaktapur, came to change a medical pouch connected to her intestine after surgery. But the doctor was not available. “The doctor only comes on Sundays and Tuesdays. I came all this way, but the hospital is closed,” she said.

Many others also suffered. Surya Thapa from Dhankuta came to collect old vaccination records for his daughter’s college in the US. Ram Maya Thapa from Lubhu came to follow up on back pain, and 72-year-old Ram Lal Maharjan came from Palung for thyroid checkups. All of them had to return without getting the care they needed.

Now that the protest has ended, patients are hoping that services return to normal quickly.