PG doctors warn of strike over disagreement on allowances

Kathmandu, January 28 —  Residential doctors (PG doctors) have issued a warning to go on strike by suspending all services, except for emergency care, in protest against the agreement between the Health and Population Minister and the Education, Science, and Technology Minister concerning allowances.

The doctors have demanded that the salaries for interns and MD, MDS, MD, and MCH residents be set to the minimum government rate within 24 hours, or they will take further action. They also warned that they would move ahead with their protest if their demands were not met.

The 'Safe Workplace for Health Worker Struggle Committee' has issued a statement rejecting the recent agreement between the two ministers, claiming that it dishonors all Nepali doctors. The committee is demanding that the allowances for residential doctors be adjusted to match government standards and is calling for the PG programs to be fully fee-free and bond-free.

The disagreement stems from a decision made by the two ministers on Monday, which outlined that residential doctors studying in private medical colleges would receive allowances of 25,000 rupees in the first year, 30,000 rupees in the second year, and 35,000 rupees in the third year. This arrangement is set to be implemented from the 2025/26 academic session.

Furthermore, the government has decided that residential doctors who wish to study for free must sign a commitment to serve in the same teaching institution for two years after their studies. Private medical colleges will also be required to provide residential doctors with services and benefits in line with university regulations, the Nepal Medical Council, and labor laws.

The dispute over allowances had been ongoing, with residential doctors arguing that the amount provided was insufficient. In response, the Ministry of Health and Population had previously decided to allocate 48,750 rupees per month as an allowance, contingent on commitments from private medical colleges. However, private college operators claimed they could not afford the promised amount, further fueling the conflict.

Prime Minister and Medical Education Commission Chairman KP Sharma Oli had instructed the removal of the previous allowance structure following prolonged disputes, delegating responsibility to the Health and Education Ministers to resolve the issue. After multiple discussions with stakeholders, a new allowance structure was finalized.