KATHMANDU, Aug. 3: Nurses staged a demonstration outside Bir Hospital on Monday, demanding immediate government action on a 15-point reform agenda aimed at addressing issues ranging from minimum wages to improvements in the nursing sector.
The protest came as nurse Jyoti Ranabhat continued her hunger strike for the fifth consecutive day, pressing the government to fulfill the demands she has raised.
Nurses threaten stringent protests
The protesters demanded the creation of adequate nursing positions, a guaranteed minimum salary, an end to the contract and temporary employment system, improvements in nursing education, and the removal of discriminatory legal provisions affecting the profession.
They also called for government-defined facilities and benefits for all nurses and midwives working in public and private health institutions, a scientific nurse-to-patient ratio for staffing, and the immediate introduction of a Nursing and Midwifery Service Act.
The protesting nurses said addressing these issues was essential not only for improving their working conditions but also for ensuring quality healthcare services for patients.
