Kathmandu. Minister for Health and Population Pradeep Poudel has directed private medical colleges to immediately implement the decision of the Medical Education Commission to provide government-level eighth-level salary facilities to resident doctors. Speaking at a meeting held between the Nepal Medical Association and representatives of resident doctors at the ministry on Thursday, Minister Poudel gave this instruction.
The meeting of the Medical Education Commission held on Magh 25 had decided to provide a living allowance equal to the government (eighth level) to resident doctors studying in private medical colleges. It was decided to maintain the same facilities for resident doctors (48,700 rupees per month) and instructions were given to implement the decision. However, the resident doctors are protesting, saying that private medical colleges have not implemented the decision. Minister Poudel had announced that the government would not provide any facilities to private medical colleges until the directives given by the Medical Education Commission were implemented.
Minister Poudel also urged the doctors to withdraw the protest and cooperate with the country’s treatment system. He stated that the government is sensitive to the problems in the medical sector and the demands of the doctors, and assured that it will move forward on the path of solution.
Speaking at the meeting, Nepal Medical Association President Dr. Anil Karki requested the medical colleges to issue a circular asking resident doctors studying in Nepal to work a maximum of 72 hours a week. He said that the resident doctors were allowed to work for maximum hours but were not paid the minimum wage set by the government. He opined that it would be morally wrong for medical professionals who do not accept the decision to pay the minimum salary of 48,000 rupees passed by the Council of Ministers to continue in office.
The doctors have been warning residents that regular medical services will be completely suspended unless the private medical college provides them with subsistence allowance. They allege that the college is exploiting their labor by paying them only 19,500 rupees instead of paying them the minimum salary passed by the government.
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