Kathmandu, September 4

Nepal Medical Association has put off its protest programmes for a week after the government agreed to revise the new penal code as per the demand of medical professionals.

Organising a press meet here today, Nepal Medical Association officials informed that protest programmes that affected health services directly had been postponed till Monday.

Dr Lochan Karki, general secretary of Nepal Medical Association, said the protest programmes had been put off for a week to allow the government time to table amendment to the code in the Parliament. He, however, added that doctors would continue to pressure the government to amend the code.

The draft amendment, which has been sent to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs by the Ministry of Health and Population today, has proposed to amend Sub section 2 of Section 230 that allows non-licensed medical professionals to treat patients.

According to agitating doctors, the existing provisions would put the lives of patients at risk.

As per the proposed amendment, doctors will not have to wait for the consent of patients or their family members, exclusively during natural disasters, road accidents and various plagues.

The proposed amendments also include two additional provisions under Section 239 that allows police to arrest doctors only after investigation finds them guilty of medical negligence or recklessness.

The second provision under Section 239 also includes “jail without bail” for those accused of attacking doctors and health service facilities.

Section 240, which allows the victim’s family to file a case against the medical personnel involved in the death of a patient without time limit, will also be amended. The victim’s family will now have to file a case within six months of the incident.

Nepal Medical Association had earlier announced its plan to boycott all services, except emergency, from Wednesday, close lab and radiology services, except emergency, on Thursday and stay away from delivering all health services, including OPD, from Friday.