Nepal Medical Association and Government negotiating regarding assault on doctors

KATHMANDU, Sep 17: Negotiations are ongoing between the Government and the Nepal Medical Association, which is currently protesting the incident of the assault on doctors. The Additional Health Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Population, Dr. Bikash Devkota, is coordinating the talks.

Along with Dr. Devkota, Joint Secretaries of the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, are holding talks from the side of the government, while the Chairperson of the Nepal Medical Association Dr. Anil Bikram Karki, General Secretary of the Association Dr. Sanjeev Tiwari are others are present in the negotiation.

Regarding the matter of the death of 41-year-old Rajesh Pradhan on the 10th of August in Chitwan, who was referred to the hospital in Chitwan after initial treatment at Sancho Hospital, the doctors of Sancho Hospital, Dr. Bikas Thapa and Dr. Prashant Bidari were beaten up on Wednesday.

Demanding legal action against the culprits of the incident of the assault on the doctors, the association has closed all health services except emergency services in all government health institutions, hospitals, medical colleges, private colleges and clinics across the country on Sunday, today.

After the Association’s decision to close all the OPD services across the country, the Minister of Health and Population Mohan Bahadur Basnet formed a 5-member negotiation committee on Friday, which is currently holding talks with the Association.