Kathmandu, September 19:

Tribhuvan University ( TU) today agreed to provide salary to doctors involved in teaching on par with other practicing doctors. The university has also formed three committees to look into the problems of the agitating doctors of the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) who are on a strike from yesterday. “We held discussions with TU officials and they agreed to provide equal salary to both the doctors involved in teaching and the practicing doctors and nurses,” Dr Manohar Prasad Gupta, president of Faculty Doctors’ Association (FDA), said. “However, we have not received the confirmation letter concerning the agreement.” Gupta said a meeting of the FDA tomorrow morning would decide the association’s future actions.

The doctors involved in teaching had gone on a strike beginning yesterday demanding, among other things: salary on par with other practicing doctors and nurses, life insurance premiums not provided for since the last five years, and asking the campus to take responsibility for the non-audited funds. As a protest, the doctors wore black bands around their arms yesterday and today and have threatened to close down afternoon services of the Teaching Hospital for the next two days. If the demands are still not met, they plan to close all hospital services except the emergency service and academic classes.