Kathmandu, December 9

Nursing Association of Nepal has warned the government against incorporating Nursing Division into Health Service and Human Resource Development Division.

“If the government fails to fulfil our demand, the association will launch protests,” said Tara Pokhrel, president of Nursing Association of Nepal.

“The nurses in the country are facing difficulties. Nurses are working as volunteers and are unemployed. Those employed are underpaid and forced to work for long hours. A single nurse has to take care of dozens of patients. We have always demanded that one nurse be made to look after five patients in the general ward.

Likewise, there should be three nurses for a single patient in the operation theatre and one nurse for a patient in the intensive care unit. There should be two nurses to take case of the patient in the labour room,” said Pokhrel. “We believe in providing quality services to patients. However, we will be compelled to take to the streets if the government turns a deaf ear to our demands,” she added.

The meeting between Minister for Health Deepak Bohara and representatives of Nepal Nursing Association that was scheduled to take place yesterday.

Earlier, members of the association had picketed the Ministry of Health after it took a decision to merge nursing division with health service and human resource development division.