Nepal Medical Association Demands Overtime Pay and Benefits for Doctors

Kathmandu. The Nepal Medical Association has demanded that the government calculate overtime for doctors and increase their service benefits. The association submitted an 11-point attention letter to the Minister of Health and Population, Nisha Mehta, on Friday, making this demand.

The association stated that doctors are on duty regularly from 9 am to 5 pm and are also involved in emergency services, on-call duties, and patient check-ups 24 hours a day. The association believes that it is an injustice to the doctors that the time spent working overtime is not calculated.

To solve this problem, the association has demanded that the Outpatient Department (OPD) time be fixed only from 9 am to 3 pm. The demand letter states that emergency duties performed outside of these hours should be calculated as overtime and additional benefits should be provided.

Through the attention letter, the association has also strongly raised the issue of minimum labor rights for professors in private medical colleges, doctors under government contract (bond), and interns in educational institutions. It has been demanded that lecturers working in private medical colleges be appointed at the ninth level and assistant professors at the tenth level, and be paid according to government standards.

Similarly, demands have been put forward that the duty hours and leave for intern doctors and resident doctors studying for postgraduate degrees and specializations should be scientific and in accordance with labor laws. The association has also demanded that doctors on contract should be allowed to participate in the Public Service Commission examination, and specialist doctors appointed under hospital development committees should be appointed at the ninth and tenth level equivalents.

Furthermore, the demand letter specifically mentions the need for a separate Doctors Act to ensure the professional security of doctors. Considering the physical and professional risks that may arise in the workplace, it has been demanded that mandatory liability insurance of up to Rs 1 million be provided for doctors in case of illness, accident, or property damage.

The association has urged the government to fulfill demands such as increasing the number of doctors to improve public health services, providing 100% incentive or risk allowance, limiting the tax on overtime services to 15%, and abolishing the 3% health equity fee collected from patients in private hospitals.