Talks between Health Ministry and NMA closer to deal

Kathmandu - The talks between the Ministry of Health and the agitating Nepal Medical Association (NMA) are closer to agreement. 

Ministry spokesman Dr Shree Krishna Giri said that in the talks held this evening intensive discussions were held on the demands put forth by NMA and they were closer to agreement. 

However, a formal agreement could notbe reached today as the NMA representatives took stance that the agreement should be signed in the presence of the Prime Minister. 

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is in New York, USA to attend the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly. He is returning home on Wednesday. It is said the agreement could not be signed today as the Acting Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar could not give time. 

Commitments have been expressed during the talks between the Ministry representatives including Health Minister Giriraj Mani Pokharel and the NMA office-bearers to have the NMA's demands met through a decision of the Council of Ministers itself. 

The government has already taken back its decision making the doctors to compensate the victims in case a patient died due to the negligence of the doctor, which was one of the main demands of the NMA. 

According to NMA sources, the Ministry has responded positively to get another of the demand related to 'jail without bail' addressed through an amendment to the Act. The 'jail without bail' demand refers sending anyone vandalizing hospitals and manhandling doctors and health workers to jail without bail. 

The Association stated that the protest programmes would be withdrawn on Sunday after a written agreement with commitments is reached with the government on Sunday. 

The Association has demanded immediate withdrawal of the decision which, it argued, has implicated doctors on the health hazards of patients, to revise the Safety of Health Institutions Act 2066 and Policy 2069, and to implement the agreements made in the past. 

With these demands, the Association has been halting all health services except emergency since Friday.