KATHMANDU, JULY 7
The outpatient department (OPD) of hospitals in the Kathmandu valley - normally crowded with thousands of service-seekers - wore a deserted look today, with doctors on strike and patients turned away, deprived of one of their most fundamental rights to health services.
The Himalayan Times visited a few hospitals to observe the aftermath of a nationwide protest called by the Nepal Medical Association (NMA) in response to the recent verdicts by consumer courts, which doctors say have encroached upon the jurisdiction of the Nepal Medical Council (NMC).
Upon inquiry, hospital staffers informed that the OPD was closed 'as per the instructions from the top'.
The KIST Medical College and Teaching Hospital in Mahalaxmi Municipality, Lalitpur, was initially preparing to offer services as any normal day. Tickets were distributed and patients had queued at the OPD. But shortly after that, ticket distribution was stopped and one gate of the hospital was closed. Service-seekers were simply told, 'OPD is closed.'
While returning from KIST, a middle-aged woman with her mother in her 80s murmured, "I had come all the way from Chhauni, but ... there is no hope now today."
Similar cases were seen at other hospitals, including Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital Maharajgunj, Bir Hospital and Patan Hospital.
At Bir Hospital, the country's oldest hospital, only follow-up cases and patients seeking emergency intervention were being attended to. According to Hospital Director Dr Dilip Sharma, they had only opened emergency services. He expressed hope that the issue would be resolved soon.
Bir Hospital officials had previously told The Himalayan Times that over 2,500 people visit the hospital each day, with the number increasing during the monsoon season.
Dr Prakash Budhathoki, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, told THT, "On an average, 15,000 to 20,000 patients visit hospitals - both private and government - in the valley every day."
This means thousands of patients in the valley were affected today, with the numbers likely reaching tens of thousands across the country.
Meanwhile, the strike was strictly followed across the nation, as per several reports. Doctors held a sit-in protest at Bharatpur Hospital yesterday. NMA Chitwan President Dr Umesh Nepal and other speakers at the sit-in stated that the protest would continue until their demands were met. They emphasised that medical services should not be dragged into the consumer court.
Earlier, health workers all across the country had demonstrated their disenchantment over the court verdicts by wearing black bands while on the job.
The protest follows a court decision ordering Grande Hospital and its doctors to pay Rs 5.7 million in compensation for alleged medical negligence. Similarly, Himal Hospital and its doctors were ordered to pay Rs 14.5 million, while Om Hospital was fined Rs 5.7 million.
Dr Sanjeev Tiwari, general secretary of the NMA, stated that the medical profession is a deeply sensitive and science-based service. It should not be compared in the same way as other professions. He said such matters should be handled by the NMC.
The NMA has urged the court, the Ministry of Health and Population, and other relevant authorities to reconsider the recent decisions. It has also advocated for creating a safe and motivating environment, in which health professionals can practice with confidence. The NMA has also threatened further protests if its demands are not met.
Meanwhile, Budhathoki emphasised that the ministry has been mulling over the demands extensively to resolve the situation. "The minister is coordinating with relevant stakeholders and ministries to end the unpleasant scenario seen at the hospitals today."
