KATHMANDU, April 11: The government has expressed concerns on the ongoing agitation by the Government Doctors’ Association of Nepal that has obstructed health services in government health facilities across the country. 

“The doctors must rethink if it is ethical for the doctors to obstruct health services,” Gokul Baskota, the minister for Communication and Technology, said that it was mandatory for doctors to reach places where there were citizens. “We urge protesting doctors to return to their work as soon as possible.”

Baskota said that the government had realized there were few problems that it was working to resolve to ensure quality health access across the country.

On April 6, GODAN had halted all services apart from emergency services as a protest against the government’s civil service adjustment ignoring an agreement between doctors and the government.  The government, on April 4 had decided to ban strike and obstructions in the essential service sectors. On April 5, a meeting of the cabinet has decided to publish a notice in Nepal Gazette banning protest in the supply and delivery of essential services, signalling fresh efforts to book those flouting the existing laws.

The ongoing agitation by the doctors has barred scores of people from seeking health services.

The doctors started the protest on Friday demanding correction of a provision in the recently-introduced civil service adjustment act that makes it mandatory for doctors to work also under the provincial government or local units. 

The doctors have demanded that they be deputed only through the federal government. 

Every day, at least 200,000 people visit government-run health facilities for treatment.

 
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