Private health institutions told to align salaries with govt scale

KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Health and Population has issued directives to ensure that nurses and health professionals at medical colleges and health institutions receive salaries at least on par with personnel of government health institutions.

The ministry issued the directive based on the instructions of Minister for Health and Population Pradeep Paudel.

The ministry has made a secretarial-level decision to implement these directives across the country. It has sent letters to government hospitals, private medical colleges, and community and private hospitals to ensure compliance.

The ministry has said in the letter that salaries and benefits of health professionals should not fall below the minimum rate fixed by the government. Health institutions should also provide additional benefits for overtime work. Furthermore, they are barred from hiring staff on a daily-wage basis. Likewise, health institutions have been told to pay their personnel through the banking system to ensure compliance.

“This decision ensures that minimum standards are upheld across both public and private sectors so that no one faces unnecessary hardship,” Minister Paudel said.