Health Ministry Directs Continuation of Services on Sundays Until New Guidelines Are Issued

The government has implemented public holidays on Saturdays and Sundays to reduce fuel consumption. The Ministry of Health has directed health institutions to operate services on Sundays and grant leave on the following day. After some hospitals closed OPD services on Sunday citing staff shortages, the ministry emphasized arranging health services as much as possible until new guidelines are established. Kathmandu, 29 Chaitra – In an effort to conserve fuel, the government declared public holidays on both Saturdays and Sundays across public sectors. Given the sensitive nature of the health sector, the Ministry of Health instructed institutions to provide services on Sundays and offer compensatory leave on the next working day.
However, several health institutions have not complied with this directive. Many hospitals closed outpatient department (OPD) services on Sunday, causing hundreds of patients to wait in line only to return home without service. The Nepal Medical Association (NMA) issued a directive stating that doctors were being treated as second-class citizens and, citing staff shortages and inadequate facilities, argued that providing services on Sundays was not feasible. Subsequently, the Ministry of Health released an additional statement on Sunday afternoon. The ministry urged all hospitals to ensure the provision of health services based on available manpower and workload until the new guidelines are finalized. The statement read, ‘Until the guidelines are prepared, placing the welfare of patients as the highest priority, all hospitals are requested to arrange health services as much as possible based on available staff and workload.’
Following the explanation by some hospitals and institutions that they cannot operate OPDs on Sundays due to manpower shortages, the ministry issued this directive. The ministry acknowledged its awareness of healthcare workers’ rest rights and stated that it will develop and implement a system through the new guidelines to balance the rights of healthcare professionals with patients’ rights to treatment. The ministry also expressed gratitude to hospitals that continue to operate OPD services on Sundays. Despite the cabinet decision to designate two public holidays per week, the ministry thanked those hospitals that maintain patient care, emphasizing that ensuring continuity of essential services like healthcare is the primary responsibility of all involved.