Kathmandu, March 19

The Ministry of Health has directed all private and public hospitals and various organisations not to appoint volunteer nurses at work places.

According to Nursing Administration In-charge Roshani Laxmi Tuitui at MoH, the ministry has decided not to allow hospitals to appoint volunteer nurses. “The ministry has already sent a letter stating the same to all government hospitals and health-related associations.”

The decision was taken by the ministry following 11-point agreement signed with the Nursing Association of Nepal 2 months ago.

As per the agreement, the government had ordered reinstatement of nurses who were sacked without following due procedure at the Human Organ Transplant Centre. The government had directed HOTC to reinstate nurses Trajina Jati, Sapana Deula and Sajana Deula on contract basis for three months and provide 75 per cent salary to Jati and Sajana for the period they were sacked.

The government also agreed to form a task force to recommend salary hike for nurses, to implement the nurse-to patient ratio in hospitals and end exploitation of volunteers. There are nearly 78,000 nurses in the country. Among them, 22,000 work in private hospitals, and 9,000 in public hospitals, and 1,000 nurses in NGOs.