Health Minister's Directive: Pay Resident Doctors Rs 48,000 Immediately

Health and Population Minister Pradeep Paudel has instructed private medical colleges to immediately follow the decision of the Medical Education Commission to give resident doctors the same salary benefits as government employees of the eighth level.

In a meeting on Thursday with the Nepal Medical Association and representatives of residential doctors, Minister Paudel directed that resident doctors should be paid a monthly allowance of Rs 48,700 as decided earlier.

The Medical Education Commission had made this decision at a recent meeting, saying that resident doctors studying in private medical colleges should get the same allowance as those in government hospitals. However, private colleges had not followed this decision, which led to protests from the doctors.

Minister Paudel said that until private colleges follow this decision, the government will not provide any support or facilities to them. He also requested the protesting doctors to return to work and help in the country’s health services.

Dr Anil Karki, president of the Nepal Medical Association, also asked the government to send a notice to all medical colleges, saying resident doctors should not be made to work more than 72 hours per week.