KATHMANDU, Aug 31: The protesting resident doctors of the Nepal Academy of Medical Science (NAMS) returned to duty from Monday afternoon after reaching an agreement with the NAMS management. [break]
The agreement was signed Monday after basic framework of consensus was reached on Sunday and the doctors joined duty at 4 pm in 13 hospitals including Bir Hospital, Maternity Hospital, Thapathali and Army Hospital, Chhauni.
The strike had severely affected Bir which depends heavily on around 200 resident doctors to serve about 1,000 patients daily. “We signed on the points agreed on Sunday,” said NAMS Rector Dr Shrikrishna Giri.
The management has agreed to raise the stipend by Rs 2,000, raise night duty allowance to Rs 500, increase duty rooms, provide free treatment for the resident doctors at a private cabin in Bir and arrange necessary equipment for the benefit of patients.
The agreement could not be signed Sunday after the resident doctors blamed the management of trying to trigger a split in the Residents´ Association of NAMS by making differentiation of private and government doctors.
“Most of our demands apart from residential facility have been addressed and we did not deem it fair to continue with our protest standing adamant on one point,” said the spokesperson of the association Dr Arbin Joshi.
Dr Joshi said the hospital has sought time of one week to convince 12 other hospitals regarding night duty allowance, duty rooms, provision of equipment like portable x-ray, ECG and pulse oximetry, availability of emergency medicines and round-the-clock provision of ultrasound facility for the benefit of patients.
“We will again meet with the management next week and evaluate the progress made by the management as promised. If we find the progress unsatisfactory, we will again resume our protest,” Dr Joshi warned.
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