KATHMANDU, Sept 19: Nepal Medical Association, an umbrella organization of working doctors, has demanded that the government revoke its decision within 72 hours after the cabinet meeting held on Monday decided to formulate law provisioning compensation in case of harm to patients because of the fault of the doctors.
A cabinet meeting on Monday instructed the Ministry of Health to formulate law to provide such compensation to patients.
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Issuing a statement Monday, the NMA has threatened to launch protests if its demand is not met within 72 hours starting Monday. “We will shut down all health institutions unless the government withdraws its decision,” an NMA statement reads.
In some cases since the past few years, the relatives of patients who died in the course of treatement have vandalized private hospitals and even manhandled doctors.
The statement signed by NMA General Secretary Lochan Karki said that there are laws -- Health Workers and Institutions Security Act 2066 BS and its regulations 2069 BS -- that provision compensating the patients if investigation finds they were harmed due to negligence by doctors. “There is an international practise of making the patient or their relatives sign papers before a surgery absolving doctors of responsibility for patient's death. The government's decision goes against the practise.”
There are 154 private hospitals with 7,394 beds across the country, according to the organization of the private hospitals.
