Nepalmountainnews Report | 9 Jul 2008
All health services in governmental, non-governmental and private health institutions except emergency came to a halt in the capital valley today in call of Nepal Medical Association (NMA).
NMA, the umbrella organization of the medical professionals, said that they were compelled to go for the entire medical strike to ensure safety of their profession and private investment in the health sector.
"We will close down all the services except emergency in all health institutions in Kathmandu to protest against the government's failure to ensure security to health workers and health institutions," said Dr Kedar Narsing KC, general secretary of NMA.
Protesting against the rise in the trend of attacking health workers and health institutions NMA had, on previous occasion, closed down all health services except emergency across the country in 2006.
Doctors on Tuesday carried out a sit in protest in front of the Ministry of Health and Population as a mark of protest. Later, at a meeting held in the evening between the ministry officials and representatives of NMA ended inconclusively. "The government should provide us with security in order to put an end to the trend of assaulting doctors and attacking health institutions," said Dr KC.
Dr KC also demanded a provision that attackers would have to bear all the expenses for the losses incurred by health institutions and compensate the doctors whenever such attacks take place.
The NMA at that time withdrew the protest after the Health Ministry assured them of implementing the Medical Protection Act. "The ministry has done nothing much other than that of giving assurances, so we are forced to carry out another strong protest," Dr KC said.
The latest NMA protest has come in response to the protest being carried out by the family members of Narayan Shah, 39, who died after undergoing surgery for removing kidney stone in Everest Nursing Home located at New Baneswore last Saturday.
The nursing home management announced an indefinite closure after the deceased Shah's family members staged a protest at its premises alleging carelessness on the part of the doctor who performed surgery and other hospital staff.
Family members of deceased Shah have been demanding public apology from one Dr Subodh Adhikari as well as from the hospital management. Dr Adhikari, it may be noted, had referred the patient to the nursing home from Bir Hospital where he was being treated.
It was Dr Adhikari who performed the surgery in the nursing home. After post-surgery complications arose, the patient was moved back to Bir where he died.
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