Fourteen joint professional organizations active in the health sector have issued a strong warning to the government to implement a two-day weekly leave for healthcare workers. The group, formed under the coordination of Dr. Anil Bikram Karki, President of the Nepal Medical Association, has demanded the application of two days off per week in the health sector. They have urged the Ministry of Health and Population to immediately rectify its decision to not implement the two-day leave, which contradicts the cabinet’s directive. (2 Baishakh, Kathmandu)
The joint professional organizations have called on the government to enforce two days off weekly for healthcare workers as well, threatening to launch a collective protest if their demands are not met. In a statement issued by the joint group led by Dr. Anil Bikram Karki, they emphasized that the two days off per week granted in the public sector should be equally applied to employees working in the health sector. The group’s member secretary is dental hygienist Michael Devkota.
“Due to a long-standing shortage of essential manpower and weak organizational structures in the health sector, doctors and healthcare workers are burdened with excessive workloads, resulting in mental stress and various problems,” the statement reads. The organizations claim that the Ministry of Health and Population’s decision to not apply the two-day leave in the health sector, contrary to the cabinet’s directive, is legally unenforceable. They have demanded immediate correction of this decision by the ministry.
After the ministry urged health institutions to operate outpatient department (OPD) services even on Sundays, pressure has increased on government hospitals. Some hospitals have already begun regular services. The joint organizations have warned that if the demands of healthcare workers continue to be ignored, they will announce a coordinated movement within the health sector.
