The Nepal Medical Association (NMA) has warned of a stern protest if the government fails to implement agreements signed with them in the past. 

In a statement released on Thursday, the umbrella body of doctors across the country said that the government has yet to initiate the formulation and amendment of laws that would treat attacks on doctors and health institutions as non-bailable offence, with a jail term of up to three years. 

The NMA has said that there has been no progress in other agreements, including increase in salary and benefits based on the duty and performance of health professionals. The government was forced to negotiate with the agitating doctors following a nationwide protest demanding, among others, a law with the provision of jail without bail to ensure safety of their persons and workplace. Doctors had boycotted the health services in health institutions for a week last year in September. The NMA had then reached a four-point agreement with the government, in the presence of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, on September 29, 2017. “Doctors and health professionals who are working in health sector are worried because of the government’s failure to implement the agreements reached with the association,” the NMA said in a statement. “We strongly demand that the agreement reached with the NMA be implemented in earnest.”

The NMA has also warned  of protest if the government turn deaf ear to their demand.

Dr Pant to join DoHS

KATHMANDU: Dr Rajendra Pant, who has been reinstated by the Supreme Court as director general of the Department of Health Services, has decided to join office on Sunday. Issuing an interim order on Thursday, the apex court directed the government to retain Dr Pant in the post. 

A single bench of Justice Om Prakash Mishra issued the order to not implement its earlier decision to transfer Dr Pant to the Ministry of Health and appoint Dr Taranath Paudel as director general of the Department of Health Services. 

“I will resume my duty from Sunday. First, I’ll write an application asking the Ministry of Health to allow me to work as DG in line with the apex court decision,” said Dr Pant. Earlier, Dr Pant had moved the court arguing that Health Minister Deepak Bohara’s decision to remove him from the post was against the law. (PR)