Nepal Ministry of Health mandates Sunday operations for hospitals

Kathmandu. The Ministry of Health and Population has directed health institutions (hospitals) to maintain regular health services on Sundays. Ministry Co-spokesperson Dr. Samir Adhikari stated that the directive was issued after reports that some hospitals were closing their Outpatient Departments (OPD) on public holidays (Sundays), causing inconvenience to service seekers.

“Since health is an essential and continuous service, it is necessary to make things easier for patients,” he said. “Therefore, we have requested that health services remain operational on Sundays to ensure patients do not face difficulties.”

Co-spokesperson Dr. Adhikari noted that the Ministry is positive and committed to addressing the concerns raised by doctors, health workers, and service providers regarding the decision to operate on Sundays. He announced that the Ministry will soon issue a formal procedure for maintaining health services on public holidays.

“It is equally important to recognize that providing sensitive and essential services like healthcare continuously, with the best interests of citizens in mind, is our primary responsibility,” Dr. Adhikari said. “We inform everyone that the Ministry is preparing to finalize and implement the necessary procedures as soon as possible to make health service delivery organized, balanced, and sustainable through the cooperation and coordination of all stakeholders.”

Until the formal procedure is finalized, Dr. Adhikari has requested hospitals to prioritize patient welfare by arranging service delivery based on available manpower and workload. He emphasized that the government's priority is a balanced management system that ensures continuous hospital services while protecting the rights of health workers to rest.