KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 31

Nurses across Nepal have taken to the streets and hospital courtyards, demanding fair pay, better working conditions, and recognition of their profession. What began as a small protest in Pokhara has turned into a countrywide movement, with nurses in both public and private hospitals staging sit-ins and service halts.

The movement first gathered momentum in early October when nurses at Pokhara's Manipal Teaching Hospital stopped working because of exploitative pay. Many were earning between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000 a month, which is barely above the government's minimum wage for unskilled labour. The frustration soon spread to other hospitals in the region, including Gandaki Medical College, where nurses said they were doing the same work as government staff but earning less than half much.

The protests reached the attention of the Ministry of Health and Population, which on October 19 formed a 14-member committee to look into the issue. The committee was tasked with studying salary structures and employment conditions of nurses working in private and community hospitals. However, nurses say the move came only after years of neglect.

In the following days, nurses began wearing black armbands as a silent show of defiance. On October 29, they escalated the protest by halting services for two hours nationwide. According to reports, the shutdown affected hundreds of hospitals but excluded emergency and intensive care services. The message was clear. The nurses wanted their demands met, not just more promises.

By October 31, protests had spread across provinces, with nurses staging sit-ins in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Pokhara, biratnagar, and other cities. Hospital gates became gathering points for workers carrying placards that read: 'Equal work, equal pay' and 'Respect our profession.'

The pressure on the government intensified this week when the Nepal Nursing Association (NNA) issued a 48-hour ultimatum, stating that if their demands, including salary adjustments and improved benefits, are not met within two days, they will suspend all nursing services across the country except for emergency care. The association also warned authorities against applying any form of intimidation or pressure against protesting nurses.

The protest revolves around a government directive issued on 09 August 2025, which had pledged to ensure fair salaries and benefits for nurses. Protesters say that the directive has remained only on paper. They are now demanding that it be implemented immediately. Their other demands include raising the minimum salary to match government standards, ending daily-wage and ad-hoc contracts, and ensuring salaries are paid through banks to improve transparency.

They are also asking for extra allowances for overtime and night shifts, maternity and insurance benefits, and the recognition of nurses under the Health Act instead of the Labour Act. The Nepal Nursing Association (NNA), which is leading the movement, has warned that if their demands are not fulfilled by 04 November, the protest will escalate into stronger forms of action.

Officials have said they are studying the committee's report, expected in early November, but nurses remain doubtful.

The protests have also revealed deep inequalities in Nepal's healthcare system. While doctors and administrative staff in private hospitals often earn competitive salaries, nurses, the backbone of daily patient care, say they are overworked and underpaid. For now, the government's response has been limited. The government committee's findings are expected soon but for many nurses, trust has worn thin. Until the recommendations turn into action, they say the protest will continue.

The movement in Nepal is part of a wider pattern of nursing staff around the world voicing similar grievances. In New Zealand, for example, more than 36,000 nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants walked off the job for 24 hours in July 2025 over stalled pay talks and critical understaffing. Meanwhile, in June 2025 in Australia, over 45,000 nurses and midwives launched industrial action for the first time in 23 years, demanding pay rises and improved working conditions. While the specific demands may vary, the underlying message is consistent: nurses are seeking respect, fair compensation and the means to deliver safe, effective care.