Stating that their allowances were insufficient in view of the price hikes, as many as 40 intern doctors at the hospital forcibly closed the outdoor patient department (OPD) of the hospital. [break]They have demanded with the hospital administration that their allowances be increased to Rs 12, 000 per month.
The Manipal Teaching Hospital, affiliated to Kathmandu University is currently providing Rs 6,930 to each intern doctors as allowance per month.
The intern doctors had been pressing the hospital administration to address the demand for the last ten days organizing various peaceful protests. “We resorted to close the OPD of the hospital after the hospital remained reluctant to address our demand,” said an intern doctor, requesting not to be named.
Prior to Tuesday´s protest, the intern doctors had submitted a memorandum to the hospital administration listing their demand. Along with the increase in their allowance, the intern doctors have also demanded that the hospital should provide them leave for the following day when they work the night shift.
“The monthly salary of a medical officer at the hospital is Rs 25,000. We should be paid at least 50 percent of the total monthly salary of the medical officer,” said another intern doctor at the hospital.
The intern students also said that doctors and employees at the hospital have observed the protest expressing solidarity with them.
Meanwhile, the hospital administration has circulated a notice to the parents of the intern doctors warning that their wards would be punished for organizing the protest. The intern doctors vented anger toward the hospital administration for the act and walked out a meeting called by the hospital.
The hospital has said that the demand of the intern doctors cannot be addressed. “If we increase their allowances today, interns in other KU-affiliated hospitals will make similar demand,” said an officer of the college administration.
Likewise, Birendra Yadav, the chief of human resources department informed that the demand of the intern doctors have been forwarded to the KU as the hospital has no authority to decide about such issues.
A meeting among the hospital administration and intern doctors was held in Kaski District Administration Office but it ended inconclusively. CDO Yadav Prasad Koiral has suggested that the issue should be resolved by forming a committee.
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