Nepal Government Reaches Five-Point Agreement with Intern Doctors

A five-point agreement has been reached between the Nepal government and intern doctors, led by Dr. Dilli Harijan, who had been on a hunger strike since Ashar 19, demanding a uniform stipend for MBBS and BDS interns, among other issues.

The agreement was reached after a meeting between the government negotiation team and representatives of the ‘MBBS and BDS Intern Stipend Uniformity Campaign’ at the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology.

As per the agreement, the government will provide a stipend equivalent to 50% of the initial salary scale of the eighth level of health services to students pursuing a one-year internship program in MBBS, BDS, and other medical courses. A detailed discussion on this issue will be held on Ashar 28 with the participation of representatives from the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, the Medical Education Commission, various universities, private medical and dental colleges, and the protesting intern doctors.

The outcome of the discussion will be presented as a proposal at the Medical Education Commission’s meeting. The agreement also includes the formation of a committee to prepare a report on the implementation of the Labor Act, 2074, regarding the working hours of residential and intern doctors in all medical teaching institutions, and to take action accordingly.

Furthermore, the agreement includes a provision to investigate and refund the extra fees (extra fees) charged by medical colleges beyond the approved fees and to implement the fees approved by the government. The Medical Education Commission will also ensure the effective implementation of its earlier directive making hostel accommodation optional for MBBS and BDS students.

The negotiation was led by Chandrakant Bhusal, joint secretary at the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, and included representatives from the Ministry of Health and Population, the Medical Education Commission, and the protesting intern doctors.

The government has assured that it will take concrete steps to address the demands of the intern doctors through the discussion scheduled for Ashar 28.