After Manipal, nurses of Gandaki Medical College also launch protest

POKHARA: Nurses at Gandaki Medical College have launched protests even as similar agitation at Manipal Teaching Hospital continues.

Around 300 nurses at the Gandaki Medical College in New Bazaar, Pokhara, began their protest on Monday, demanding the immediate implementation of the salary scale and benefits set by the government. They have also called for the assurance of fair pay, recognition of their hard work and respect for their profession.

The nurses have issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the hospital administration to address their demands.

“This movement is not a strike or an act of disorder, but a voice for our dedication, commitment and professional dignity. Despite repeatedly submitting requests and petitions to the administration and concerned authorities, we received no positive response. This left us with no choice but to take this step,” the nurses of the Gandaki Medical College Teaching Hospital and Research Center said in a statement on Monday evening.

Mina Shrestha, vice-chairperson of the Nepal Nursing Association, Kaski, said she was with the nurses throughout the day. She told Himal Press that talks had failed after the hospital administration expressed its inability to provide the demanded pay and benefits.

According to Shrestha, the nurses, while keeping patient welfare in mind, have decided to continue providing critical care services for 24 hours during the ultimatum period. They have warned of a more stringent “pen-down” protest if their demands are not met.

The nurses said they would continue emergency services until 7 am on Tuesday and keep the ICU and other essential services operational until 1 pm on Wednesday. They, however, will stop work in general wards and regular services.

Over 300 nurses currently work at Gandaki Medical College.

The nurses said they were not given time for dialogue despite making efforts for the past two days. They staged a one-hour sit-in outside the laboratory building on Monday after the hospital administration and medical superintendent told them that their demands could not be fulfilled immediately.

Last year, the government decided that the salaries and benefits of nurses and health workers employed in private health institutions should not be less than those in the public sector. However, most private hospitals have been paying less than half of the prescribed salary.

Despite repeated appeals, private health institutions have not implemented the government decision, compelling nurses across the country to protest for minimum pay and benefits.

At both Manipal and Gandaki medical colleges, nurses in the Assistant (fifth level) category receive only Rs 15,000-20,000 a month, while the government has set the salary for that level at Rs 34,735, with an additional Rs 5,000 as a cost-of-living allowance.

Meanwhile, the Nepal Nursing Association, Kaski, has expressed serious concern over the ongoing agitation and submitted letters to the concerned hospitals, urging them to address the nurses’ demands regarding salary, risk allowance, night duty allowance and other benefits. The association has declared its full support for the peaceful movement and called on all concerned authorities to ensure immediate implementation of the minimum pay and benefits, as per the directive of the Ministry of Health and Population.

Nurses have been on strike at Manipal for the past two weeks, demanding minimum pay and benefits. The hospital administration said they had to refer patients elsewhere due to the protest. The administration said that on Saturday alone, 200 patients were referred because of service disruptions. Although the emergency and outpatient services had resumed on Sunday, nurses refused to return to work after talks with the hospital administration failed.

Manipal currently employs 366 nurses.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Population has directed all government, community, private hospitals and medical colleges across the country to pay doctors, nurses and other health workers according to the prescribed salary scale. The ministry directed all institutions to immediately implement the five-point decision related to service facilities taken in December last year.