KATHMANDU, May 14: Five months after the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) issued a circular mandating equal pay for nurses in private and government hospitals, the directive remains unimplemented. The Nepal Nursing Association (NNA) submitted another memorandum to the MoHP last week, urging enforcement of the government’s decision.
The circular, signed by Health Minister Pradip Paudel and issued by the Nursing and Social Security Division (NSSD) on December 12, instructed private hospitals to pay nurses salaries equivalent to those in government hospitals. It also required hospitals to submit salary bills and bank statements when renewing their licenses with the ministry.
However, private hospitals have yet to comply. NNA General Secretary Devika Acharya said they met again with Minister Paudel and Health Secretary Bikash Devkota last week to raise the issue. Minister Paudel reportedly told the delegation that the lack of a strong legal foundation has hindered enforcement.
Nurses being paid nominal salaries by private hospitals: NNC
"Although the circular was issued, there’s no legal provision to hold hospitals accountable if they fail to follow it. This has created a serious problem," said Acharya. She emphasized that legal backing through the Health Service Act is necessary to fully implement equal pay and end the exploitation of nurses.
Acharya added that many nurses in private hospitals earn only Rs 15,000 to Rs 22,000 per month, while government-employed nurses doing the same work receive up to Rs 35,000. Around 20,000 nurses are estimated to be working in private hospitals across the country.
At a recent event, NSSD head Hira Devi Niroula confirmed the circular had been issued. However, she said the ministry has not received formal complaints from individual nurses since then, making it difficult to assess compliance. “The minister has directed that hospitals failing to comply should not have their licenses renewed,” she added.
