KATHMANDU, Dec 22: The federal and provincial governments have started an initiative to bring uniformity in the wages and service facilities of nursing and health workers who are working at a lower wage than that determined by the government.
The Federal and provincial governments have started initiatives after receiving complaints from non-governmental health organizations and private hospitals about unfairness in the remuneration and service facilities of nursing and health workers.
The Ministry of Health and Population and the Lumbini Provincial Government have corresponded to maintain uniformity in the service facilities that they get.
Nurses being paid nominal salaries by private hospitals: NNC
Health directorate of Lumbini province said that consistency has been established in service facilities including salaries of nursing and health workers working in government, non-government health institutions and private hospitals under the province.
A letter has been sent requesting that health and educational institutions appoint all healthcare workers only through contract agreements, ensure that the minimum salary and benefits for nurses and all healthcare workers are not lower than those provided by the Government of Nepal, and make provisions for additional allowances for work beyond the specified hours.
It is mentioned in the letter signed by Chitra Khanal, “After providing the appointment letter with a contract agreement, the original educational certificates should be returned to the health worker themselves in order to make payment through the bank. Ensure maternity leave with salary and services for female employees for at least 98 days before or after childbirth, as per Section 13 of the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights Act, 2018.”
Currently, there is no uniformity in the remuneration and service facilities of most of the nursing and health workers. Nursing and health workers, who are underpaid, are suffering due to lack of uniformity. Rajan Shahi, president of the National Health Workers Association Banke, Banke, said that the initiative taken by the government is commendable. Shahi further emphasized that although there is uniformity in government hospitals, wages and service facilities are given arbitrarily in non-government and private hospital
“Nurses and healthcare workers are forced to work for low wages,” he said, “In such a situation, they are unable to even cover their own expenses. Referring to the hospital’s decision and mutual understanding, nurses and healthcare workers are being discriminated against in terms of their pay.”
He further added, “They should get salary and service facilities as prescribed by the government.”
The government has set a salary of Rs 34,790 for nursing. However, nurses are forced to work with a salary of over Rs 17,000. Health workers are also forced to work for Rs 13/14 thousand.
He said that this is labor exploitation of nursing and health workers. In some hospitals, the salaries of nursing and health workers do not seem to increase even after working longer hours.
